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JENNIE V. GETTY 




BIRD LIFE IN 
WASHINGTON 


Treating of the Birds of the State of 
Washington, Their Songs and 
Nesting Habits 


With 20 Drawings by the Author and 42 Photographs 


By 

JENNIE V. GETTY 

Author of 

“ LITTLE FRIENDS OF THE SNOW ” 


o » 

) 9 > 


LOWMAN & HANFORD CO. 
PUBLISHERS 



Copyright 1916 
Miss Georgia Allen 
Seattle, Wash. 


OCT -4i9!6 


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©Cl. A 4 3 87(15 

'"VvT? I 

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

The Author and Western Warbling Yireo’s 

Nest . Frontispiece 

Nest of the Western Robin. 2 

Western Bluebird . 3 

Nest of Varied Thrush. 5 

Nest of Russet-backed Thrush. 7 

Nest of Oregon Towhee. 9 

Nest of Rusty Song Sparrow. 11 

Nuttall Sparrow . 12 

Golden-crowned Sparrow . 13 

Western Savanna Sparrow. 14 

Nest of Pine Siskin. 16 

California Purple Finch. 18 

Nest of Blackheaded Grosbeak. 20 

A Lazuli Bunting’s Nest. 22 

California Yellow Warbler’s Nest. 24 

Pacific Yellow-throat . 26 

Nest of Long-tailed Chat. 29 

Nest of Lutescent Warbler. 31 

Nest of Cassin’s Vireo. 33 

Western Warbling Vireo’s Nest. 34 

Red-eyed Vireo . 36 

Western House Wren at Entrance of Nesting 

Hole . 37 

Nest of Seattle Wren. 39 

Nest of Tule Wren.. 42 

Nest of Oregon Chickadee. 43 

Chestnut-backed Chickadee . 45 

Ground Nest of Brewer’s Blackbird. 47 

Nest of Western Meadowlark. 48 

Tree Swallow . 52 

Nest of Barn Swallow. 54 
































Page 

Nest of Steller Jay. 56 

Nest of Western Crow...- 59 

Magpie’s Nest from Above. 61 

Northwestern Flicker . 64 

Gairdner Woodpecker . 65 

Lace-trimmed Nest of Cedar Waxwing. 69 

Nest of Western Flycatcher. 71 

Nest of Traill Flycatcher. 72 

Western Wood Pewee. 73 

Nest of Western Kingbird. 74 

Nest of California Cuckoo. 76 

Where the Winged Flowers Grow. 77 

Nest of Pacific Nighthawk. 79 

Nest of California Creeper. 81 

Nest of Sooty Grouse. 83 

California Quail . 85 

Nest of Oregon Ruffed Grouse. 88 

Sharp-shinned Hawk . 90 

Going after Western Red-tail’s Nest. 94 

California Pygmy Owl.. 97 

Nest of the Long-eared Owl. 99 

Kennicott’s Screech Owl.. 102 

Nest of Spotted Sandpiper. 105 

Northwest Coast Heron. 107 

Northwestern Belted Kingfisher. Ill 

Nest of Bush-tit. 114 

White-winged Crossbill . 118 

Nest of the Killdeer. 121 

Nest of Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. 123 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet . 124 

Nest of Shufeldt’s Junco. 125 

Nest of Virginia Rail. 126 


































PREFACE 


The author’s death occurred following 
the completion of this work. To make 
permanent her observations and with the 
hope that others may study and love the 
birds as she did, her relatives have caused 
“Bird Life in Washington” to be pub¬ 
lished. 

Miss Getty’s collection of bird eggs, 
drawings and photographs have been pre¬ 
sented to the Washington State Univer¬ 
sity and may be seen at the Museum. Her 
observations were made chiefly in the vi¬ 
cinity of Seattle, Tacoma, Kirkland and 
in the Snoqualmie Valley. 

Her niece, Miss Georgia Allen, edited 
the manuscript and arranged the details 
of publication and wishes here to thank 
Mr. D. E. Brown, Mr. J. H. Bowles, Mr. 
W. L. Dawson and Mr. F. S. Hall for 
much kindly assistance and helpful sug¬ 
gestions. 




INTRODUCTION 


In the following pages, the aim has 
been to give the children a brief but work¬ 
ing knowledge of the appearance of indi¬ 
vidual birds, the localities which these 
birds are most likely to frequent, their 
choice of home sites, and the language 
which they use. 

With the help of parents and teachers, 
we would make the children so well ac¬ 
quainted with individual species that an 
injured bird will be to them an injured 
friend. 

Can not the boy be made to understand 
the great service which the birds render 
not only to beauty and to music but to 
the growing crops! We have tried to en¬ 
able him to judge Robin, not entirely by 
what the bird does in June, but by what 
lie does during the entire year. Even the 
despised but greatly misunderstood 
Hawks and Owls should not be judged en¬ 
tirely by their rare visits to the farm yard. 

A few suggestions may be helpful for 
bird study. In Washington, early in 
March, boxes may be made for tree swal¬ 
lows and blue birds. Farther south this 
work should be done earlier. 

Love songs and nest building will con¬ 
tinue from March until August. 


Teachers must use much discretion in 
regard to showing nests to children un¬ 
der twelve. We have found that a large 
per cent of nests thus shown come to 
grief; not necessarily because of inten¬ 
tional harm to the nest, but the natural 
enthusiasm of the child makes him too 
familiar. We are aware that some may 
take exception to this but we can assure 
them that we are recording facts obtained 
through long experience. 

During August and September the 
birds are gathering into flocks. They are 
preparing for their winter sports either 
here or in the South. 

Walks through Birdland should be 
taken at least in April, May, June, Sep¬ 
tember and October. The company should 
be small. Six is a large number. 

When heavy snows come, children 
should be urged to scatter crumbs on win¬ 
dow sills or on boards hung high enough 
that they are out of reach of the cat. 
When the snow is deep, the quail is in par¬ 
ticular need of care. In places frequented 
by these birds, grain should be scattered. 
Some of the recollections that I most cher¬ 
ish, are those of kitchen window sills 
crowded with feasting sparrows, thrushes, 
and flickers on cold winter days. 

*y 


JENNIE V. GETTY 


Bird Life in Washington 


THE WESTERN ROBIN 

Two Robins 1 nests are in the low fir 
trees near my kitchen windows. This is 
the twenty-fifth of June and the parents 
have been carrying worms to their babies 
for several days. One is gathering within 
a few feet of me. He has five worms in 
his mouth and is still hunting. Were it 
not for his babies I should be tempted to 
let him gather for my fishhook. 

This is probably the second family 
these birds have reared this season, for 
the Western Robin arrives early. Indeed 
many of them remain throughout the year. 

He builds his nest of coarse grass stems, 
a few small sticks and some cord if he can 
get it. He lines it with fine grasses. The 
outside and the lining are plastered to¬ 
gether with mud. 

The nest is placed on the limb of an 
apple tree, fir tree, or cherry tree; close 
to the body of the tree or far out on the 
branches; high up or low down. Indeed 
the kind of a tree or the location in it, 
bothers Robin but very little. It is so 



4 


2 BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


easy to find his home! he scarcely hides 
it at all. 

Our most familiar bird egg is Robin's. 
The children have seen the four clear blue 
green eggs so often that their mental pic¬ 
ture of a bird’s nest contains four pretty 
blue eggs. 

In spite of Robin’s great appetite for 



Photo by the Author 

NEST AND EGGS OF WESTERN ROBIN 


the juiciest, ripest cherries, he gets more 
than his share of love; lie is so much in 
evidence that we all know him. 

Mornings and evenings, from March 
until July, he sings “Cheer up, Cheer-eer, 
cheer up, cheer up, cheer-eer.” If we ap¬ 
proach too near to his home, lie scolds 
almost as hard as ^teller's Jay. He sings 
less, it is supposed, than his Eastern cou¬ 
sin—the American Robin. 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


3 


WESTERN BLUEBIRD 

You are lucky if you catch Western 
Bluebird singing his song of love. I had 
begun to think the nursery rhyme was 
teaching a myth: “I know the song that 
the bluebird is singing,” it says. 

I followed Bluebird many a season be- 
fore I caught him voicing his love. Then 
to add a charm, if that were possible, to 
the ethereal music, he sang while he 
floated back and forth overhead. 

The sun rose over the stately firs: the 



WESTERN BLUEBIRD 


dew drops sparkled like silver stars 
while the bird sang its greeting. I was so 
happy to be able to say in truth, “I know 
the song that the bluebird is singing,” 
that his love notes rang in my ears for 
hours. 



4 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


His song season is short. We may 
hear him talk almost any season. His 
conversational notes are sweet, too. 

If the tree swallow does not drive him 
away, he is glad to find a box in the yard 
waiting for him. 

Bluebirds come early and the mother 
bird may rear three sets of children. It 

t/ 

lias been known to lay six sets, but in- 

ft/ / 

stances of this kind are rare. Each set 
consists of from four to six pale blue eggs. 

If no welcome box awaits bluebird, lie 
may seek an abandoned woodpecker hole 
far from any human habitation. 

ft/ 

He is beautifully clothed in blue and 
rose. His manners are gentle and con¬ 
fiding. We welcome the joy he brings and 
are glad he is with us all the year. 

o *y 

Only a few sheltered valleys may know 
him in January, but I have met him quiet- 
ly feeding on the shores of Lake Wash- 
ington on the twenty-eighth day of Be- 
cember. By the twentieth of February 

ft/ ft/ 

they are fairly common again. 

ft/ t/ 

VARIED THRUSH 

The Varied Thrush makes one think of 
the Robin. The two birds resemble each 
other in size, color and mannerisms. So 
Varied Thrush is often called Alaska 
Robin, Oregon Robin, or Swamp Robin. 
He is the more beautiful bird; his throat 
and breast are golden or orange; a bright 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


5 


black crescent divides the orange of 
throat and breast; orange thumb marks 
deck his wings; and over his eye is a stripe 
of the same bright hue. 

In the lowlands, Varied Thrushes are 
winter birds. The colder the winter the 
more common they are, for they come 
from the foothills for food. Although the 
Varied Thrush is more timid than Robin, 
these birds are sometimes found sporting 
together. 

In February, March and April the 
Thrush enchants the listener with his sin¬ 
gle whistled note uttered in many keys. 



Photo hu the Author 

NEST AND EGGS OF VARIED THRUSH 


“E-e-e-k,” he says, sweet, solemn, and 
melancholy. Then he raises the key and 
makes the note sweeter and more pathet¬ 
ic; and then, as if impatient that he can 



6 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


not make the poetry of his soul under¬ 
stood, he lowers the note, shortens it, and 
puts into it a tinge of impatience. 

He throws back his head, opens his 
mouth wide, and sends forth a long trem¬ 
ulous whistle that thrills human ears a 
quarter of a mile aAvay. 

By a long path in the deep wood, I have 
found Mrs. Thrush upon the nest. It was 
an exceptionally beautiful, bulky affair of 
twigs and mosses lined with dried grasses. 
It was placed in a fir about fifteen feet 
from the ground. It is sometimes placed 
in cedars. In the lowlands, this nest is 
rare; we should go to the foothills to make 
the search more successful. 

The eggs are much like Robin’s eggs, 
save that they are sparingly spotted. 
There are very seldom more than three 
eggs in a nest. 

If we approach too near when the par¬ 
ents are feeding the babies, they set up a 
terrible commotion. If they had known 
enough to be quiet, we would probably 
have seen neither parents nor babies. 


RUSSET-BACKED THRUSH 

Dear little Russet-backed Thursli is as 
common as Robin in summer. It is a 
little olive brown bird with a spotted 
breast. 

He is a late comer but in June and 
Julv, the thickets fairly ring with his, 

«/ 7 O 7 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


7 


“Look up, spheral, spheral.” His call 
note is a single whistle much like we give 
to Fido when we want him to prick up 
his ears. It is easy to imitate this. If you 
whistle to him, lie’ll answer from the 
thicket. 

In choosing a location for a nest, most 
birds take three things into consideration: 
light, cleanliness, and safety. Their homes 
will he in open places, along paths, or 
water courses, but we may crawl through 
the heavy ferns of the deep woodland, or 
push our way through the thicket where 
it is too dense for ferns, fighting the dead 
branches from our eyes at every move. 
Here we may flush Russet-back. 



Photo by the Author 

NEST AND EGGS OF RUSSET-BACKED THRUSH 


The nest may be fastened to a fragile 
bracken fern, or it may be twenty feet up 




8 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


in a fir. It is made of almost anything 
Busset-back can find. The most common 
materials are grass, stems and mosses 
with dried leaves for the lining. 

If we find the nest in June there will 
probably be four eggs in it, if in July 
three may be a complete set. The eggs 
are greenish blue spotted all over with 
brown or blue. 

Busset-back is a typical thrush with the 
olive brown back and the spotted breast. 

We have other thrushes less common 
than he, which resemble him in size and 
color. They are the Hermit Thrushes. 
They are practically silent with us. 
“Mountain angels,” they have been aptly 
called. I have met them in the ravines 
of the mountains and as I sank reverently 
to my knees to listen to the matchless 
singers, I felt as though the soul of a 
mountain hermit were breathing an ines¬ 
timably sweet prayer to the angels. The 
sturdy Alaskan goes to the foot hills to 
listen while he pities us to whom the heav¬ 
enly music is usually denied. 

OBEGON TOWHEE 

Hopping over the brakes and brush 
piles almost any time of day, and any sea¬ 
son of the year, is a beautiful dark bird 
sometimes called the ground robin. 

Bonnet and cape, back, wings and tail 
are black save for the white thumb marks 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


9 


on wings and tail. These white spots 
show beautifully in flight. He wears a 
very becoming apron, the front of which 
is white and the sides rufous. 



OREGON TOWIIEE NEST AND EGGS 


He holds his tail curved gracefully up¬ 
wards as he trips over the brush. In the 
spring he may sit quietly" for an hour with 
tail hanging while he trolls over his name. 
“Tow hee, tow hee.” But on the bushes, 
he flirts with us a moment, flashing his 
red eye at us; then disappears. We may 
still hear his rather good natnred scold 
from among the bushes. “Ank, ank, 
a-n-k,” he says. It sounds like puss beg¬ 
ging for milk. For that reason Towhee 
is sometimes called the Catbird. He is 
not the Catbird. In fact he has named 
himself. 

He can trill, and lie can sing. His trill 
pours from his throat like a tiny cascade. 



10 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


But all who love music should hear his 
June song—his song of his happy home: 
“Ptsee, pee, pee, cheeree. Cheeree, pee, 
pee, prsee.’’ He may sing his song for¬ 
ward or backward or cut it in two in the 
middle. 

I have seen him so wild with love that 
he forgot that I was near and might grab 
him. 

His home is on or near the ground. 
Every western child may know the Ore¬ 
gon Towliee. He is common and he is 
with us all the year. 

He belongs to the Finches and Spar¬ 
rows—the great family of seed eaters. 

o tJ 

RUSTY SONG SPARROW 

Next to Robin, if not before him, the 
Rusty Song Sparrow claims our love. 
Not because of his beauty, for he is de¬ 
cidedly plain in color. He is just a little 
brown bird with head striped gray and 
brown. 

I have known him to be mistaken for a 
wren. He need not be, for although his 
tail is perked up, his wings and tail are 
not barred, and he has the short, thick 
sparrow bill. 

In the variety of his songs, he almost 
equals Seattle Wren who is constantly 
surprising us with a new composition. 
While Robin takes a lofty position to 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


11 


whistle his: “Cheer-up, cheer-eer,” little 
Rusty is satisfied with a twig of a brush 
pile to pour fortli his joy. 

Almost any bird, not excepting the Jay, 
sings during the home building season, 
but Rusty Song Sparrow's song season 
lasts from January to January. In sun¬ 
shine, in rain, or in snow, he gladdens us 
with his melodies of life and freedom: 
“A-we, a-we, a-wa, chi, chi, chi, chi, sweet, 
sweet," or “chip, chip, ya, chip, wurt-a, 
sweet, sweet,” or “chip, chip, ya, where’s 
she, hu, hu, hu, hu,” or “whu, wliu, whu, 
wlm, wh-e-e, uh, uli, uh, uh, uli, whoit, 
whoit.” 

Just part the low bushes any time from 
April 15 to July 15 and there nestled from 
one to three from the ground is his home. 



Photo by Author 

NEST AND EGGS OF RUSTY SONG SPARROW 



12 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


NUTTALL SPARROW 

In this busy part of the world, many 
a sweet strain of music is scarcely heard. 
At least it is true that few pause to trace 
a song to the singer. A chorus of music 
may fill the air. The ivorld seems bright¬ 
er but most of us get no farther than the 
thought: “The birds are singing!” Be 
they wrens, finches, or thrushes, we are 
too bushy to determine. Little Nuttall is 
an exception. He is heard and heeded. 
From early morn until eleven at night we 

o 

may hear his “We-e, a-nch-y, liitcliv, 
hitchy, liitcha.” After the day’s work is 
done, his sweet strains catch the ear, and 



NUTTALL SPARROW 


we wonder, “Who is our serenader!” He 
has earned for himself the title, “The 
Nightingale of the West,” 

He is a summer bird, arriving by the 
last of March or the first of April. He 
announces his presence at once from the 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


13 


tops of the brakes or from the branches 
of the low firs. 

The nest may be found in May or June 
upon the ground or low in the bushes. It 
is easily found. And has three or five 
green blue eggs in it. We may flush the 
mother bird from the nest in the corner of 
the yard. For this daring, the bird pays 
a heavy toll to the cat. 

ty 

Nuttall is large for a sparrow. His 
color is gray. On wings and back, there 
is brown mixed with the gray. Black and 
white stripes adorn his head. His wing 
bars are white. 

GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW 

During the last part of April and first 
of May, Golden-Crowned Sparrow visits 
us. He is a small greyish brown bird 
with the golden crown between two black 
lines which gives him his name. 

Their conversation sounds like “enk, 
enkv," or sometimes “oo'ee." 

1/ 7 



GOLD-CROWNED SPARROW 



14 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


Having paid us their spring visit they 
go on north. There they raise their fam¬ 
ilies then call again in September on their 
way to southern winter quarters. 

WESTERN SAVANNA SPARROW 

You are most apt to find Western Sa¬ 
vanna Sparrows on the tide flats, though 
they have been found on upland meadows. 
They are modest brown and grey birds 
striped in a 12 radiating pattern. 

They usually nest in colonies of half a 
dozen pairs. You may look for the nest 
in May or June in grassy spots and count 
yourself lucky if you find it. 

These sparrows’ shyness makes them 
very hard to study. When you are walk¬ 
ing through the salt marshes you may 
flush them but they will zigzag at once for 
the nearest cover. 

Their song reminds you of a grass¬ 
hopper in its, “Ptsip, ptsip, se-e, e-e-e-e.” 



WESTERN SAVANNA SPARROW 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


15 


WILLOW GOLDFINCH 

We have so many kinds of finches and 
sparrows that it takes years to get ac¬ 
quainted with them all. One of the most 
gaily clad is the Willow Goldfinch. His 
di ^ess is bright yellow, his wings black 
crossed by white bars. Then he wears a 
jaunty black cap. 

He greets us with a SAveet low Avarble in 
late spring. Some of the Goldfinches re¬ 
main throughout the year, but if Ave have 
had our introduction to them in their gay 
summer clothes Ave shall need another one 
in order to knoAV them in winter. A large 
number of ours are dressed much plainer 
in Avinter than in summer. 

The Goldfinches sport in gay flocks in 
Avinter, but in late spring the pairs of tiny 
SAA'eethearts steal away from the croAvd. 

Mr. Goldfinch is very attentive to his 
lady, if you see oue A r ou are almost eer- 
tain to see the other. “How did you find 
the nest?” I asked a gentleman avIio re- 
ported having made a visit to it. “Why, 
I saw him alone, you know Iioav closely 
they stick together, so I thought she must 
be on the nest and I began to hunt.” The 
nest is usually placed near the top of a 
Ioav tree. It should contain three or free 
blueish Avhite eggs. 

c> O 



16 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


PINE SISKIN 

Have we not all wondered who are 
those dainty tiny rovers moving in such 
larke flocks. There are from fifty to five 
hundred in one group. Their plumage is 
streaked grey and brown with yellow 
patches on wings and tail that show in 
flight. 



Photo hu W. L. Dawson 
NEST AND EGGS OF PINE SISKIN 


A little child said to me one day : “I saw 
hundreds of tiny birds this morning. 

o 

There were so many, I could hardly see 
the sky through them.” Their tiny flut¬ 
tering wings make me think of a musical 
instrument with a thousand keys in mo- 
tion. 

The flocks may be seen during any 
month of the year, but they are very 
much in evidence from October to Febru- 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


17 


ary when the alder cones are hanging full 
of seeds. 

An alder tree is often truly alive with 
these tiny sparrow colored citizens who, 
while they feast, keep np the loveliest 
chatter. 

Pine Siskins travel in flocks except 
when building or taking care of a home. 
Any time during the spring or summer 
months, a pair may leave the main ranks, 
and choose a pretty curve high up on a 
limb of an alder tree for a home site. 

The mother bird “sits close,” as we say. 
That is, it is hard to drive her from the 
nest. I have thrown sticks at her for half 
an hour, while she sat quietly on the nest 
paying no heed to me. 

I had no intention to hit the little wife, 
but I don't see how she knew it. She 
changes the position of her eggs every few 
minutes. When she hears her mate’s 
voice, she is on the alert in an instant. 

It is worth a visit to Birdland to see 
him feed her. She stretches up her bill 
and father bird puts her dinner into it, 

CALIFORNIA PURPLE FINCH 

When we first meet the Purple Finch 
we look in vain for the purple in his cos¬ 
tume. His colors vary from madder red 
to madder pink. He is not so handsome 
in his younger days. Then he is striped 
like a sparrow. 



18 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 



Like many Washington birds, the pur¬ 
ple finches are only partially migratory. 
They are scarce in winter and, unless we 
watch closely we may see them but seldom 
then. 

While not entirely silent during the 
cold months, their song is seldom heard 


CALIFORNIA PURPLE FINCH 

until early spring. So when their rich 
loud trill comes to us from the orchard, 
we greet them as new comers. 

It is almost impossible to translate 
Purple Finches song into words but the 
ear, once accustomed to it, seldom forgets 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


19 


it. He lias a call which he gives from the 

tops of the firs which we may put into 

words, “Joey, come here.” “Joey, Joey 

come here!” he says. 

«/ 

In April Purple Finch is certain to be 
in the cherry trees when they are white 
with blossoms. What is he doing up 
there? He is picking oft* the blossoms, the 
little scamp ! He picks off the entire blos¬ 
som, extracts the honey and drops the 
rest. 

There are usually a number of little 

blossom pickers in the same tree. The 

ground soon appears as if covered with 

snow. It is often so thickly covered that 

our Nature Study Classes forget the 

birds and gather up handfulls shouting: 

“Play snow ball!” The chickens pick up 

the blossoms, but the birds renew the 

white carpet just as often until the trees 

are past bloom. It truly seems as though 

there could be no cherries upon that tree. 

One is very much tempted to chase the 

little red workers out of the tree and yet 

*/ 

they are really doing good. 

We watched the trees that appeared to 
be the birds favorites for years and we 
find them well filled with most excellent 
cherries. 

A tree produces a great many more 
blossoms than it should mature as cher¬ 
ries. This culling is of advantage; the 
fruit is larger and better. 



20 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


THE BLACKHEADED GROSBEAK 

Late May brings to the fir encircled low- 
lands one of the finest singers upon the 
Pacific Coast. Who can listen to him and 
lament the loss of eastern birdsongs! 
From the tops of the tall firs, clear and 
penetrating, he sends forth his whistled 
swinging rythm: “Sweet, he ro, sweet, he¬ 
ro, wh-e-e-e spirit, hu, hu, hu, hu.” “Greet, 
you, greet, you, you.” Listen to him, hoys. 
High class as his music is, his notes are 
so distinct that we may whistle his song, 
too. 

He is generous with his voice. If you 
come near the place he loves at any time 
of day, you are almost certain to hear him. 
I have stood in the marsh for hours in the 
rain listening to this artist. Again I have 



Photo by the Author 

NEST AND EGGS OF BLACKIIEADED GROSBEAK 






BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


21 


gone into the woods to study some rare 
bird but Grosbeak called me out of my 
way and made me listen. Fortunately, 
these fine singers are growing more com¬ 
mon every year. 

They nest in the spireae and salmon- 
berry bushes, and the male bird, artist 
though lie is, does not disdain work. In 
the absence of his mate, he sits upon the 
nest singing all the while as though work 
were fun. An artist need not be an archi¬ 
tect. Grosbeak certainly is not. 

The nest is a firm one but so loosely 

«/ 

woven that we may look up and see the 
eggs through it. 

Blackheaded Grosbeak is richly clad in 
black, orange, and white. In size he is a 
little smaller than Robin. 


WESTERN 


EVENING GROSBEAK 


In winter these beautiful birds are 
common in parks. They are brilliantly 
dressed in greenish yellow, have golden 
crowns and white wing patches. Their 
call is striking. It may be a high shriek 
“Imp,” an alarm note from the bird on 
watch, or a soft whisper to each other. 

Their song is considered most beautiful 
by the favored few who have heard it. 

ft/ 

But they sing only in forests at nesting 

«/ CT* ft/ O 

time. 

They feed on seeds and buds of trees, 
especially maple buds, and are very fond 
of caterpillars. 



22 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


LAZULI BUNTING 

A dainty bunch of cerulean blue, black, 
white, and brownish rose, is the Lazuli 
Bunting. His hood and cape are blue, his 
sides rose chestnut and his underparts 
and wing bars white. 

Even the rich colors of the Bluebird are 
outrivaled by those of this tiny Finch. 
Before you know him well, you will often 
wonder whether you are listening to a 
Finch or a Warbler. Both bird and voice 
appear small for a Finch and large for a 
Warbler. 



Taken near Spokane Photo T. S. Merrill 

A LAZULI BUNTING S NEST 


He makes a pretty picture as he 
spreads his dainty wings before his brood 
warning it of danger. When they fly, he 
follows them to a place of safety. Lazuli 
Bunting is usually a late comer. His 
home is among the bushes and grasses 
near water. 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


23 


WARBLERS 

Summer brings many tiny yellow birds. 
In color, at least, many of them remind 
us of our canary. For this reason, they 
are falsely called “Wild Canaries.” Their 
bills are much more slender than our pet 
bird and most of them are smaller than 
he. Canary is a Finch. As a musician, 
lie ranks much higher than the Warblers. 
But they are such active, cheerful little 
beings, and their, “Cliee, chee, chee,” with 
variations, according to the species, just 
must be shaken out for their tiny throats 
are full to over-flowing. They may sing 

O e/ fj CD 

every few seconds from morning until ev- 
ening. So many species resemble each 
other so much and Warblers are so active 
that it is often difficult to tell just what 
species is flitting in and out among the 
leaves. 

Should we be lucky enough to find a 

t/ n 

Warbler home and sit down by it, the tiny 
parent though in motion will manage to 
keep a bunch of leaves between us and it. 

It is not always the surest way to trace 
birds by their color, but it is often the 
quickest way. Yellow is the prevailing 
Warbler color. 



24 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


CALIFORNIA YELLOW WARBLER 

The Warbler that reminds us most of 
Canary is California Yellow Warbler, a 
bright little golden thing with tiny or¬ 
ange streaks down throat and breast. 
His wife is bright olive green. 

By the last of April we should hear 
California Yellow Warbler's “chee, eliee, 

ehizawee." His home is about the only 

€/ 

w arbler home that is easy to find. It is 
deep, cup-sliaped, and placed in open 
bushes where the limbs fork. Just search 
the bushes near water for Warbler homes. 



Photo by the Author 

NEST OF CALIFORNIA YELLOW WARBLER 


AUDUBON WARBLER 

Our favorite Warbler is the Audubon. 
He is very richly dressed and what is 
more, he is truly western. 




RIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


25 


His general color is gray but his wings 
and tail are adorned with white; his 
breast is black; and his crown, throat, 
and rump are golden. On either side, 
beautifully set in gray and black, are 

O 7 

two golden spots. 

In March little Audubon appears in his 
wedding dress, singing his wedding song. 
His is the first Warbler song of the sea¬ 
son. 

We often find in early spring a flock of 
these birds flitting over the alders and cot- 
tonwoods. They are not looking for home 
sites there. They are just getting their 
dinner. Their building territory is not 

Cj 9J 

alders. 

Sometime in April, if you are sharp 
eyed, you may find Audubon's home sad- 
died on a limb of a fir tree. Don't med¬ 
dle, don’t touch, he'll be almost certain 
to leave the nest if you do. Warblers are 
very sensitive to any meddling. Some- 

•J v CD 

times merely looking into the nest, if he 

CD 7 

sees you do it, is enough to make him 
leave his home. 

M'GILLIVERAY WARBLER 

McGilliveray’s Warbler though shy 
and hard to watch is one of our most com¬ 
mon Warblers. You should watch for his 
coming in May. 

His hack and tail are an olive grey, 



. 26 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


head and throat slate grey and under¬ 
parts are yellow. 

The nests are not easily found but if 
when you approach a clump of vines or 
shrubbery the bird slips quietly out and 
begins eating rather conspicuously in 
nearby bushes it should make you sus- 
picious. 

If you do find it, it will be a loose built 
affair made of grasses and rootlets, per¬ 
haps lined with horse hair. It should 
have four eggs in it, 

McGilliveray’s Warbler sings “chee, 
cliee, cherrie.” 



PACIFIC YELLOW THROAT 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


27 


PACIFIC YELLOW THROAT 

Down in the swamps in Maytime you 
may hear “Witcliity, witchity, witch-it-y.” 
If you watch closely you will see the 
small greenish bird with his bright yel¬ 
low vest and black mask. His wife looks 
like him but wears no mask. He turns 
his quaint little face towards you as he 
scrambles away through the underbrush 
and marsh grass. 

The nest is very well hidden in a clump 
of grass and you may hunt and hunt and 
then find it by accident when you have 
given up hope. Then Yellow Throat will 
scold at you “Quit, quit, quit.” The nest 
is made of grass and should contain four 
brown speckled eggs. 

You may know when the tiny birds are 
there by the storm of “Quits” that an in¬ 
truder causes. 

Yellow Throat is a devoted parent and 
hunts endlessly for worms and insects. 
He swallows them himself first and then 
feeds the babies this partly digested food. 
The parent birds share the work of feed¬ 
ing. 

THE LONG-TAILED CHAT 

How different the birds are! How easy 
it is to believe that the one at which we 
are looking is the most interesting of all. 

Children, I am often impatient with 
myself because I can’t picture the won- 



28 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


derful songs and actions of tlie birds so 
that you may see them as I have. You'll 
have to go to the woods and marshes and 
enjoy the birds for yourselves. There’s a 
whole world of knowledge and fun in it. 

My first and best visits with the Chat 
were on the banks of the Columbia River 
where the river cuts its way through the 
mountains. Here on a ledge of rock 400 
feet above the river valley, I used to sit 
for hours and listen to this unwarbler like 
warbler. He took possession of a dead 
shrub 300 feet below me. He was more 
interesting to me than a whole brass 
band. Shall you wonder when I tell vou 
that he can sing like a thrush, pipe like 
a squirrel, bark like a puppy, and scold 
like a jay? 

He is much larger than most other 
warblers. He is about the size of the Ore¬ 
gon Towliee. He is unlike most warblers 
in the variety of his songs. Warblers us- 
uallv have but one song or at most two. 
They may have an every day song and a 
love song. 

Morning and evening, my chat was sure 
to be upon his particular stub at the foot 
of the bluff. From there lie made occa¬ 
sional trips into the thicket, but he was 
always back in a moment at his music. 

All this was pretty certain evidence, 
that in the thicket was a tiny tired wife, 
busy at her home making, and that she 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


29 


was cheered and kept patient by onr beau¬ 
tiful entertainer. 

Of course we wanted to look into the 
home but we were afraid to search the 
side of that rocky bluff. The rocks were 
covered with briers, poison oak, pretty 
blue ceanothus, and white creamy syrin- 

on 

&<*• 

Here, too, on the bluff side, the rattle 
snake came out from under the rocks to 
bask in the sun. 

We hunted, though, and at last we 
came upon a portion of the thicket which 
was so dense that we could not enter ex¬ 
cept at one place. 



Photo bp the Author 

NEST AND EGGS OF LONG-TAILED CHAT 


In the center of tin’s enclosure was the 
prettiest, cleanest room; and there upon 
a limb about four feet from the ground 




30 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


was the nest. It was made of grass stems 
and contained four Avliite eggs spotted 
all over with lavender. 

Don’t suppose for a moment that Mr. 
Chat always sits upon a limb in plain 
sight. He usually does just the contrary. 
When he has had no little tired wife to 
cheer, I have tried for hours to get a 
glimpse of him in the thicket. 

He would laugh at me, now on this 
side and now on that, while I could catch 
scarcely the flutter of a wing. 

There was one thing that he did not 
hide, though, and that was his brass band 
music. 

The Chat is rare in Washington Avest 
of the Cascades. Occasionally he comes 
from the eastern part of the state through 
the mountain passes. 

Perhaps aa lien the country is more thor¬ 
oughly cleared of tall timber, aa e may con¬ 
vince him that the Avestern part of the 
state has as many briery jungles as the 
eastern part and so induce him to take up 
his summer residence here. 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


31 


MYRTLE WARBLER 

In May little Myrtle Warbler passes 
through Washington going northward. 
He looks as though he might be Audu¬ 
bon’s twin brother, but Audubon Warb¬ 
ler’s throat is yellow while Myrtle’s is 
clear white. 

Some species of warblers build upon 
the ground, some in bushes, and some in 
trees. (Lutescent Warbler builds upon 
the ground.) 



Photo hit J. H. Bowles 
NEST OF LUTESCENT WARBLER 



32 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


VIDEOS 

Late in April the basket makers begin 
to arrive. They are tiny birds about the 
size of the warblers but much more plain¬ 
ly dressed. They have chosen gray and 
white—excellent colors for neat but busy 
mechanics. These colors serve as a pro¬ 
tection. Gray and white corresponds so 
nicely with the lights and shades of the 
leaves and bark, that a Yireo may often 
sing for half an hour directly over our 
heads, while we search for the tantalizing 
singer and yet fail to see him. 

The baskets are almost always light in 
color. The birds use plant down, white 
strips of paper, and plants. The lining 
is made of tine grass stems. 

Sometimes mosses are woven into the 
nest, but seldom are there enough to make 
the nest dark in color. These little nest 
baskets are hung from the forking twigs, 
a little late for May Day but they are 
more carefully hung than the May fairies 
hang theirs. 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


33 


CASSIN VIREO 

Cassin Vireo loves to suspend his nest 
from a fir limb, but lie is sometimes satis¬ 
fied with an alder. 

By the last of April his sharp and 
clear whistle rings over the open fir bor¬ 
dered lowlands. “Spirit, come 1101116 ," he 
says in almost thrusli-like tones. 

His white wing bars, the broken circle 
of white which nearly surrounds his eye, 
and a white stripe from his bill to his eye, 
help to distinguish Cassin Vireo from his 
cousins. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF CASSIN VIREO 

WESTERN WARBLING VIREO 

This bird is generally a little more 
common than Cassin Vireo. Its song is 
also more monotonous: “Ptwether, pwetli- 







34 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


er, leether,” lie warbles over and over 
again from an alder tree. He may keep 
you looking for half an hour before you 
can see him, so nicely do his colors blend 
with those of the trees. 

Don’t be discouraged, bird study is slow 
work, but it is worth the time. In the be¬ 
ginning, it usually takes me two weeks 
to be sure I have a perfect picture of my 
bird. It takes about this time during the 
nesting season when the bird is found in 
a certain locality every day, otherwise it 
may take months or even years. 

I remember verv well the two weeks I 
gave to Western Warbling Yireo. I went 
to that alder grove not once but many 
times every day. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST WESTERN WARBLING VIREO 

How the little fellow would plague. He 
could keep out of sight so easily! But 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


35 


at last I found out how to watch. He is 
a happy fellow and sings while he works. 
A quick flutter of wings away from a 
thick clump of leaves, and another quick 
flutter towards it, often indicate that 
mother bird is being relieved from duty. 
Now, just give Mr. Warbling Vireo time 
to get settled and he’ll sing upon the nest 
as gaily as when he is playing a game of 
flutter and dash through the trees. 

Shake the limb very gently and a little 
gray head will appear above the nest. 
The white line over the eve will show con- 

i/ 

spicuously and thus helps you to indenti- 
fv him. 

Be quiet again and he'll sink back into 
the nest and sing again: “Ptwether, 
pwether, leether,” to the little wife who 
is hopping over the leaves after insects 
and insect eggs. 

RED EYED VIREO 

My favorite vireo is Red Eye. I used 
to go to his haunts day after day to listen 
to his “Sweet, sweet, sweet Marie, Ma-rie, 
here dearie, tweedle dee," interspersed 
with “Spirit, come here." 

The ash, cotton wood and alder formed 
a roof for the slough; the carpet was 
made of Hedge Nettle and Skunk Cab¬ 
bage bordered with Spireae and Syringa. 

Each day, as I approached, his voice 
rose clear and commanding in the dis¬ 
tance; nearer and nearer he came until lie 



36 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


paused on a limb over head. His voice 
sounded much like Cassia's but he had 
more words to his song. 

We did not know then that Red Eye 
was here. “Surely,” I said, “this is Red 
Eye,” but the bird workers said: “No, 
Red Eye is not here,” so I went back to 
listen to him call to “Sweet Marie” and 
to wonder. New species are coming every 
year. 

Finally some one suggested that his 

1/ oo 

notes were preacher like and then I could 
hear the sermon, too, but I liked it better 
before I knew it was a sermon. 

Red Eyed Yireo is growing more com- 

t/ o o 

moil every year. His markings are much 
like those of Western Warbling Yireo but 
there is no mistaking their songs when 
once they are thoroughly learned. 



RED EYED VIREO 






BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


37 



Photo by Finley and Bohnman 
WESTERN HOUSE WREN AT ENTRANCE OE 
NESTING HOLE 


WESTERN HOUSE WREN 

Everyone knows this tiny brownish 

grey bird and everyone loves him. 

He conies early in spring time and soon 

sets about the important business of nest 

building. A hole in a tree, a tin can or 

even an old derby hat serves as a cavity. 

He lines it nicely with down or feathers. 

€/ 

The mother bird slips on and you may 
know the first egg is being laid. When 
she has five or six she begins to brood. 
After fourteen days the tiny nestlings ap- 






38 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


pear, all appetite. Then indeed the par¬ 
ents are busy. 

Besides their jolly songs Western 
House Wren will scold and the mother 
bird Avill make a sort of soothing note to 
her brood. 


SEATTLE WREN 

Robin is sometimes blamed for the 
small cherry crop; Steller Jay gets credit 
for laying unlawful claim to the vegetable 
gardens but every one loves the wrens. 

While I write, from the thicket just out¬ 
side of mv yard floats to me one of little 
Seattle Wren’s sweet songs: “E-e-e-e-e, 
sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet,” he says. He 
paused a moment and now, from the 
thicket, I hear, “Pee, pee pee, hoo, hu hu, 
hu, hu.” This one appears to be his fav¬ 
orite. But he knows many songs—so 
many that it will take us years to learn 
them all. 

I have loved and listened to him for¬ 
mally years and he is still surprising me 
with songs entirely new. 

Sometimes his notes become classic and 
he sings of his joys and his hopes in Lat¬ 
in. “Spero, spero,” he whistles. Again 
he is vain and sings of himself, “U-m-m-m, 
sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, li-e-e, hu, hu, 
hu, hu, hu,” or “Sweeten lie-e, hu, hu, hu, 
hu!” 

Last June, I saw a pair building up¬ 
stairs over my door. One of them 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


39 


snatched a cord from the ground and 
started up a ladder. I>ut the cord was 
fastened. It gave the little fellow a jerk, 
throwing him off the round. The string 
was over the round hut he clung to it 
while he hung suspended in air. The 
string would not pull loose and he finally 
had to let it go. Then he flew over the 
fence and picked up a whole mouthful of 
shavings as a substitute. 

A few days later I found five eggs in 
the nest. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF SEATTLE WREN 

One day the school children hung a 
nail sack in the woods. A hammer held 
the pocket open. They forgot the sack 
for a while and when they returned for 
it, there was a little brown bird and a 
nest full of eggs in it. A crevice in an 





40 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


overturned root of a tree suits him well 
for a building spot. 

Seattle Wren is a busy bird; he lias to 
work; he has to sing; and sometimes he 
thinks he needs to scold. He is wise, 
though; I never have found him scolding 
very near the nest. 

All Coast lovers of music should know 
this songster. We trust no Seattle child 
is a stranger to him. Not only is he the 
best singer among the wrens, but he 
ranks among the best singers of all our 
feathered citizens on the Coast. 

His bill is long and curved, a white 
line curves over his eye. His wings and 
tail are finely barred. 

WESTERN WINTER WREN 

Few birds love the deep forest—it is too 
dark and too dirty, but along the paths 
in the deep damp woods where the logs 
are moss-covered, dwells a golden brown 
bird but little larger than a Humming¬ 
bird. He might almost dispute Humming¬ 
bird’s to be called our smallest bird. 

We may stop and play with him for half 
an hour. We may talk to him and tease 
him until lie comes almost to our hands. 
Stand perfectly still but talk to him all 
the time keeping the voice low and mus¬ 
ical. He’ll soon imagine he can drive 
you away. He is so tiny ad he looks so 
comical in his big effort to scare you. 

Look and listen for him in all seasons 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


41 


especially when you are taking a walk 
through the woods on a bright sunny day 
in winter. You may meet him in the deep 
lonely gulches in summer. Then if you 
are very lucky, in some crevice or under a 
log you may find his home. 

The song is a rapid trill. It is hard to 
make words out of it but the ear remem¬ 
bers it after one hearing; its character 
is so distinct. It reminds one of a sweet 
toned bell. 

TULE WREN 

We are to visit a bird colony this time. 
We shall need a particular costume in 
order to be presentable there. Hip boots 
are not usualy considered an essential 
part of a calling costume, but we shall 
need them for we are going to wade. The 
tiny settlement is out among the buck 
beans, cattails, and yellow water lilies. 
Don’t be afraid—it will be the easiest bird 
hunting you ever did. As we tramp 
through the slough, we may find a coot’s 
nest. And then just think of finding a 
whole colony of bird homes! 

The architecture is a little queer. 
Each house looks like a well woven pock¬ 
et. It is made of strips of tule stems and 
lined with down. The houses hang sus¬ 
pended from the tules. 

What a commotion the birds make all 
around us! It can hardly be called music. 
How happy they are in making the noise. 




42 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


They almost bend double. Heads are 
thrown back and tails are perked up until 
heads and tails almost meet while the 
little throats pour forth volumes of noise 
—just noise, but the birds don’t know it. 

When we get to the center of the colony 
we may stand still and count a dozen 
homes. If we can find an empty house, 
we may take it with us. No need to han¬ 
dle with care, it is so Avell woven that we 
might play catch with it. 

The nests are hung too high for the 
water of the lake to reach them and they 
are closed at the top; so the little folks 
are sheltered from the rain and from the 
lake. 

The egg is reddish brown. 



NEST OF TULE WREN 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


43 


CHICKADEES 

A gay little troop of Chickadees have 
just surrounded me. No need to look up 
from my work to know they are there; 
such a lively chatter these sociable little 

«y 

people make. I wonder how many 
thoughts “Chick-a-dee, dee, dee,” ex¬ 
presses for they repeat it over and over as 
they cling to the leaves right side up or 
upside down. 

When Chickadee talks my ear tells me 
where he is but when he sings, I must 
hunt for him—he is a ventriloquist then. 

He may be within a few feet of me and 
yet make me look in the top of the trees 
for him. 



Photo by W. L. Dawson 
NEST AND EGGS OF OREGON CHICKADEE 




44 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


The grayish brown chickadee with 
crown and throat black and the side of 
its head white is the Oregon Chickadee. 

He is a neat, dainty home maker. I 
saw him excavating for a home site last 
May. An old snag hung over the water. 
He would peck out a chunk of wood, carry 
it away, drop it, and then return for an¬ 
other piece. He apparently wanted no 
litter in his back yard. 

Oregon Chickadee chooses a deciduous 
stub and Chestnut-backed Chickadee 
chooses an evergreen stub. How do the 
little birds know the difference. 

Sometimes Oregon Chickadee finds an 
old stump which has just the sides stand¬ 
ing. He enjoys just such a place. Soon 
you may look down from the top and see 
the mother bird upon the nest. 

Late in June I found a pair of Chest¬ 
nut-backed Chickadees busy around a lit- 
tie, new, clean-looking hole in a tall stub. 
They hesitated to go in while I watched. 
But the baby birds were hungry so at last 
one parent entered but it whirled quickly 
and looked at me to be certain I was not 
playing it false. But the little folk had 
seen the juicy bug and they raised such a 
clamor that the bug had to be presented. 
I could hear them very distinctly. When 
this parent came out, the other entered to 
deliver a load. The parents worked finely 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


45 


together, carrying baby bugs to baby 
birds. Baby birds live principally upon 
worms and insects. 



CHESTNUT BACKED CHICKADEE 



46 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


BLACKBIRDS AND THEIR 
COUSINS 

What song is more welcome than Red¬ 
winged Blackbirds’ “Okel-e-a?” 

Redwing begins to sing in January. 
Now, January is not noted for its music 
in the air, so when, clear and sweet as 
Meadow Lark’s song, Redwings “O-kel- 
e-a” rings out upon the cold air, our glad 
imagination ushers in the spring. 

The glossy blackbird with the bright 
red shoulder straps flashes past in full 
song, and he seems a fairy general fluting 
to the sleeping buds. And we wonder if 
the Pussy Willows will hear him and 
awaken. 

His notes remind us of Meadow Lark’s. 
This is not strange for the birds are close¬ 
ly related. 

Redwing's colors are black and red but 
his wife dresses much plainer. She wears 
a brown dress streaked with buff. 

The tule covered sloughs are Red¬ 
wing's loved haunts. From the tales, he 
suspends his home. It looks like a deep 
open basket. If we approach too near the 
birds get very much excited. They don’t 
understand that we can’t walk upon the 
water and that to be able to disturb that 
home we would need rubber boots or a 
boat. 



BIRD LIFE IX WASHINGTON 


47 


BREWER BLACKBIRD 

Brewer Blackbird is a bird of the mead¬ 
ows and grainfields. He wears a coat of 
sober black. They prefer more open sit¬ 
uations for nesting than Redwing does 
and usually make their homes in colonies, 
sometimes close to the ground, sometimes 
high up in stubs of trees. 



Photo by W. L. Dawson 
GROUND NEST OF BREWER’S BLACKBIRD 



48 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 



WESTERN MEADOW LARK 


Meadow Lark does not need an intro¬ 
duction. Everybody knows him; he 
thrills the human musician and compels 
even the dull ear to listen. 


Photo hy IF. G. Dawson 

NEST AND EGGS OF WESTERN MEADOWLARK 


I have met men who are ever looking 
backwards towards the East, refusing to 
listen to western songs or to let me listen 
either; but they too, would admit that 
Meadow Lark can sing. 

“W-e-e, chere, cheery,” “He-e-r-e coo, 
sweet, chizawe,” the bird whistles so dis- 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


49 


tinct that the piano may reproduce the 
exact intervals: but Meadow Lark need 
never fear that any instrument will ever 
copy the pure heavenly quality of his 
tones. 

There are boys, ’tis said, who will 
wound birds; but this songster has al¬ 
most won for himself, freedom from the 
cruel stone. 

No one tires of his music—he sings so 

well, and his songs are so many and 

varied. He may sing one set of songs in 

one neighborhood and another set in a 

neighborhood not more than five or ten 

miles away. 

€/ 

We love him, too, because he sings in 
every season. 

He brings so much good cheer that he 
is practically unmolested. The birds are, 
therefore, increasing in numbers every 
year. 

Early in April precious love secrets lie 
hidden upon the ground among the mead¬ 
ow grasses. 




50 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


BULLOCK ORIOLE 

We can almost forgive the man who 
lives in Western Washington but who has 
spent his childhood in the East when he 
misses the Orioles. 

Beautiful Bullock Oriole is found in 
Eastern Washington. He is dressed in 
yellow, orange and black. Occasionallv 
lie comes through the mountain passes to 
the western part of the state. 

I shall always remember a fine old 
grove of maples on the flats of the Colum¬ 
bia River where they sang for me. How 
I craned my neck and strained my eyes to 
see the nest which I knew should hang 
from the tops of those trees. 

My stay with them was short* or I 
should have ordered a nest made of special 
material for a souvenir. Should you wish 
one made of mother’s or sister’s hair, just 
place the material in the trees where the 
birds can find it. 

Caterpillars make fine dinners for Ori¬ 
ole. What a world full of troublesome in¬ 
sects Ave should have were it not for the 
birds? 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


51 


SWALLOWS 

Swallows have been called sky-sweep¬ 
ers. Back and forth, back and forth, 
round and round the little sweepers go 
for many hours every day. They are 
cleaning the sky. Their wings are so 
long and strong that the birds do not 
easily tire. This is fortunate for us for 
they destroy millions of harmful insects. 
Those who know the swallows well, will 
give them a royal welcome. 

Some persons fear that the insects 
which infest the birds, may be hurtful to 
the cattle; but this is a mistake. Insects 
which live upon cattle will not live upon 
birds. On the other hand, the swallows 
destroy many insects that would other- 
wise annoy the cattle. 

In the autumn, when the insects grow 
scarce, the swallows leave us and go to 
sweep the sunny southern skies. 

TREE SWALLOWS 

Long before the “Lilacs all are bloom¬ 
ing and the cherry flowers are white’’ the 
Tree Swallow comes. We are usually 
surprised to meet him so early when his 
food supply is apparently so limited. 

We are glad to see him, though, for his 
happy twitter is a herald of approaching 
spring. 



52 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


Even at a distance, we may recognize 
him by his shining white breast and his 
steel blue coat. When he sits upon a tel¬ 
ephone wire, showing little but his white 
breast, it is some times difficult to tell 
whether you are looking at Tree Swallow 
or Violet Green Swallow. Look carefully! 
If the white partially encircles the eye, 
it is Violet Green Swallow. 

Old Woodpecker holes offer them fine 
home sites. They are apt, too, to steal the 
box that was intended for Bluebird. 



TREE SWALLOW 


If you prefer the swallows, you may put 
up a dozen boxes in the yard and have as 
many homes there, for the swallows love 
to live in colonies. 

I have watched a whole flock circle 
around a hole in a cottonwood; apparent¬ 
ly, they were all contending for the same 
home. A good climber may find a num¬ 
ber of nests in the same snag, if there are 
holes enough. 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


53 


There are few birds, if any, who have 
no love song. The swallows can sing as 
well as twitter. 

NORTHERN VIOLET GREEN 
SWALLOW 

From among all onr swallows, the Vio¬ 
let Green carries off the beaut}^ prize. A 
part of his back is a bright leaf green, 
the rest a beautiful violet. His breast is 
clear white like Tree Swallows. 

Tree Swallow and Violet Green Swal¬ 
low are often found sporting together. 

BARN SWALLOWS 

Every year brings a flock of these small 
workers in pottery to our town. There is 
a large brick building in the center of the 
village which, apparenty, is just to their 
liking. We sometimes find about forty 
bowl-shaped bits of pottery under the 
eaves of this house. The nests are placed 
in rows on the east and south sides of the 
house. 

I have often watched the birds gather 
the building clay. They troop down up¬ 
on a mud puddle, a dozen or more at a 
time. There they keep their tiny wings 
fluttering over their backs—butterfly 
fashion. This is to keep their dainty feet 
from sinking into the mud. 

They pick up balls of the mud, and fly 
to the eaves with them. Tliev carrv ball 
after ball. Each neAv one is plastered 




54 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


fast to the others until the homes are 
complete. 

Queer little masons are building queer 
little homes. The homes look like bowls. 
They are rough looking bowls for they are 
made of mud marbles plastered together. 

The evening air around this place is 
literally alive with Barn Swallows, 
sweeping the sky for insects. 

These birds pay a heavy rent in our 
village. I wonder sometimes at their un¬ 
varying faith in us. Why do tliev con- 
tinue to come! Upon the side walks, 
under the ruined homes, I have often 
seen the dying baby swallows gasping for 
breath. 

There are still a few boys who do not 
measure any pain save that which comes 
to themselves. To them a tiny, mangled, 
starving bird makes no appeal. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF BARN SWALLOWS 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


55 


STELLER JAY 

Here comes Steller Jay, the sauciest 
feathered imp of the woods. We wanted 
everything quiet so that Golden Crowned 
Kinglet would not he frightened away. 
Our Kinglet lesson is lost—while “Ack, 
ack, ack, ack, yank, yank,” yells Blue 
Jay. The more I try to silence him, the 
more he sauces me. What is he doing 
now? It sounds as if he had stolen Grand 
Mother’s coffee mill and was working it 
vigorously, or as if he had a double set 
of teeth to grate. 

He is seldom caught singing. He is not 
amiable enough to let us hear him if he 
can help it. But he can sing. He sings 
to his mate in the spring. His song is a 
musical crow. 

A bully though he is, he can be fright- 
ened, too. I found a pair in the thicket. 
One bird was cautiously stealing about, 
without making any noise. The other 
followed me back and forth uttering gen¬ 
uine cries of fear while I hunted for the 
secret. As Blue Jay is so seldom afraid, 
I concluded there must be a baby bird 
hidden among the branches and that the 
father bird was afraid I might find the 
little darling when the mother bird car- 
ried food to it. 

These birds are splendid jokers. 1 have 
seen a flock of them tease Sharp-shinned 
Hawk for half an hour until the hawk 




56 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


went off over the trees thoroughly dis¬ 
couraged because he couldn’t make a 
meal of a Blue Jay. 

Out from among the trees came Steller 
Jay with Sharp-shinned Hawk after him. 
As the hawk was about to strike, the jay 
gave a hideous yell, frightening the hawk 
out of his wits. Then the hawk went 
away and sat down upon a limb by him¬ 
self. He evidently intended to be good. 
But the jay was not satisfied. Into the 
same tree, lie went, too. A lot of other 
jays followed, apparently for the purpose 
of seeing the fun. 



Photo h)t the Author 
NEST OF ST ELLER JAY 


The jay approached the hawk', but the 
hawk gave no sign. He edged sidewise a 
little nearer and a little nearer until he 
was within a couple of feet of the hawk. 
He acted just like a bantering school boy. 






BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


57 


The hawk regained courage and made an¬ 
other dash for his dinner, only to be 
frightened again by Steller’s demon-like 
yell. 

I am afraid I can’t make many friends 
for this handsome bird; he breaks up 
nests, steals eggs, takes possession of po¬ 
tato crops, and sauces wickedly. 

Perhaps when we develop a sense of 
humor strong enough to understand that 
he is the “Peck’s bad boy of Birdland, ,, 
we shall be able to laugh with him more. 

Most Washington birds are well pro¬ 
tected by law. But no law protects Stel- 
ler Jay. Shall we blame him for trying 
to protect himself? 

Steller Jay makes a beautiful nest of 
sticks. The lining is of rootlets. This is 
welded to the sticks with mud. 

OREGON JAY 

Oregon Jay reminds us but very little 

O 9J V 

of Steller Jay. He, too, wants a part of 
our food supply, but he comes quietly, 
and confidently upon the porch, snatches 
a morsel from the table, or helps himself 
to a part of Fido’s dinner. 

If he finds nothing, he looks around 
inquirigly as much as to sav: “Isn't mv 

I. CT* t/ t/ 

dinner ready yet!" 

Because of his familiar ways around 
camps, he has been called the Camp Rob¬ 
ber. 

Early in the morning, he may awaken 



58 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


the sleepers by hopping upon their bed. 
He is reminding them that there will be 
company to breakfast. He is sometimes 
photographed while he sits upon a camp¬ 
er’s foot. 

One day some boys caught an Oregon 
Jay for me so that I might paint his pic¬ 
ture. As it was wash day, I could not sit 
down to brush and paint at once. 

I put the bird into 1113' apron pocket 
and pinned the mouth of the pocket 
around his neck. He said but little but if 
my arm came too near, the plucky little 
fellow Hit it. 

One spring, with aching heart, I fol¬ 
lowed up the evidences of a tragedy. On 
the seventeenth of May I saw a parent 
bird upon the nest in a young fir. She 
allowed me to almost touch her. She was 
brooding four half fledged little ones. I 
left them in possession of the lonely bit of 
wood road, but I returned in a few days 
for another visit. Two little forms had 
vanished; one mangled body was on the 
ground; and the last baby, apparently 
sick, was still in the cradle. 

Again I returned to the place, the nest 
was empty. Both parents were still near 
it. Together we three gazed mournfully 
at the empty home. One bird gave a pa¬ 
thetic musical whistle and then both 
birds disappeared among the branches. 
What the author of the tragedy was, I do 
not know. Scenes like this are many. 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


59 


THE WESTERN CROW 

What child does not know the crow! 
He is common all oyer our country. He 
is usually yery much in evidence, very 
entertaining, and also, well able to take 
care of himself. He soon learns whether 
he is to keep aloof from his human neigh¬ 
bors, or whether he may be sociable. 



Photo by W. L. Dawson 
NEST AND EGGS OF WESTERN CROW 


I recall a flock which used to congre¬ 
gate upon a long bridge which crossed 
an arm of a lake. The bridge was much 
frequented by anglers and I suppose “Jim 
Crow” reaped a bountiful harvest from 
the fish that were discarded upon the 






60 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


bridge. At any rate lie appeared to know 
that lie was not the object hunted and 
that he profited by visits of the people. 

There he and I used to have some very 
interesting conversations; there, I used 
to make love to him and found the wooing 
both successful and charming. He would 
meet me at the end of the bridge on my 
early walks. I often found him perched 
upon the rail and I never failed to greet 
him “Good morning, Jim Crow, you are 
just the nicest old bird I know. Come 
right along. I like you, Jim Crow, of 
course I do. Come on, pretty bird. Have 
they been abusing my big bird? Come 
right along." Thus I rattled on, being 
careful to keep the tone of voice as gen¬ 
tle as possible. Down from his perch, he 
hopped, and fluttered along in the dust 
nearer and nearer to me, talking all the 
time. His sentences were as finely in- 
fleeted as a person’s: “Uck, uck, uck, uck, 
uck, uck," he said. I could call him al¬ 
most to my fee. 

The wise old raven, which after all is 
only a big crow, has an interesting place 
in mythology. He Avas once snowy white 
says the story. Then he Avas Apollo’s 
messenger. Noav Apollo loA^ed a human 
maiden. She Avas pleased Avith his atten¬ 
tions but she thought it would be doubly 
delightful to have tAvo lovers. The fol- 
loAving is taken from a poem by Saxe. 



BIRD LIFE IX WASHINGTON 


61 


“She flirted with another lover— 

So at least the story goes, 

And was wont to meet him slyly 
Underneath the blushing rose.” 

This the Raven told Apollo, who shot 
the girl with a poisoned arrow. But Apol¬ 
lo grieved for her and blamed the Raven 
for telling him. 

Then he turned upon the Raven 
“Wanton babler, see thy fate! 
Messenger of mine no longer, 

Go to Hades with thy prate! 

Weary Pluto with thy tattle; 
Hither, monster, come not back, 
And, to match thy disposition 
Henceforth be thy plumage black.” 

MAGPIE 

Everyone knows these showy black 
birds with the white breasts and wing 
patches. 



Photo by W. L. Dawson 
MAGI’IE NEST FROM ABOVE 






62 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


They winter on the Sound. In Febru¬ 
ary and March they gather into a flock 
and go to Eastern Washington for their 
nesting season. 

They are not popular with the cattle 
men as they pick the backs of sore horses 
and annoy the cattle. 

It is true that they act as scavingers 
and we grant them this field of usefulness 
but condemn their habit of eating small 
song birds and their eggs. Even young 
chickens are their victims. 



BIRD LIFE IX WASHINGTON 


63 


NORTHWESTERN FLICKER 


Here is one of the most conspicuous of 
Washington birds. Everybody knows 
him although few call him by his right 

O t/ o 

name. He is called the “Higliholder,” I 
presume because his holdings are so high. 
Fie is also called “The Yellow Hammer,” 
because his eastern cousin is known by 
that name. Ours had better be called the 
Pink Hammer. He hammers and the un¬ 
dersides of his wings are pink. 

When we flush him from a precious 
wormy log and he flies low, the clear 
white rump shows conspicuously. When 
he flies high, the rose on the undersides of 
Ins wings is in evidence. When he stands 
upon a roof anxiously calling for his 
mate, his spotted breast crossed by a 
black crescent identifies him. 

He spends a great part of the year free¬ 
ing the trees from harmful insects. In 
the autumn Mr. Flicker comes for his 
share of ripe apples. He has earned some 
for he has helped to take care of the apple 
trees. 

“Wick up, wick up, wick up,” he saj^s, 
as he clings to the trunks of the trees. 
“Chap,” he calls from the house tops, or, 
as he flies, he sings a rolling song, a good 
imitation of which you can make by All- 
ing the lungs with air, closing the lips 
and forcing the air through the lips while 
they rapidly open and close. 



Ci 4 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


Any one lias missed a fine treat, who 
has not seen a pair of these birds dance 
their love dance. 

They face each other and dance to the 
tune of their own music: “Wick up, wick 
up, wick up, wick.” They hop over each 
other, whirl, and go on with the dance 
and the music. 

A round hole near the top of a tall stub, 
is usually the door to Flicker’s home. 
Just tap upon the stub, and if he is at 
home, he'll come to the door to see who 
is rapping. 



NORTHWESTERN FLICKER 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


65 



Sketch hi/ the Author 
GAIRDNER WOODPECKER AT WORK 

The white stripe down his back; his 
smoky white breast, and his black coat 


GAIRDNER WOODPECKER 


A dainty litte tap, tap on the cotton¬ 
wood often calls our attention to a wood¬ 
pecker. He hammers away on the under 
sides of a limb with no fear of falling. 



66 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


spotted with white, help us to know him. 
He wears a scarlet ribbon across his 
crown. He is one of the smallest of our 
woodpeckers. 

Harris Woodpecker looks very much 
like little Gairdner except that he is 
larger. Little Gairdner is usually found 
near Ioav ground. Harris Woodpecker 
lo\ r es the hillsides. 

Cabanis Woodpecker is a rare comer. 
He looks like Harris Woodpecker except 
that his breast is a clear white and not 
a smoky white. 

NORTHERN PILEATED 
WOODPECKER 

This large, black, long necked bird is a 
striking object in the open places of the 
deep woodland. 

We might almost imagine it to be “the 
woman with the red cap,” which the fairy 
changed to a bird. 

The sides of Woodpecker’s head and 
neck are white and he wears a bright red 
comb. His dress is black. 

When he tears to pieces. an unsound 
tree or stub, he can make a noise very 
much like that made by a strong man 
hammering. We may hear him a long 
distance away. His colors are so bright 
that he is easily located. He searches so 
earnestly for insects, and he hammers so 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


67 


loud that we may sometimes slip up uear 
enough to touch him. 

Although this beautiful bird still has a 
wide range over the United States, it is 
growing scarcer every year. He is an easy 
mark for the self-named sportsman. But 
we wonder why any one should wish to 
kill him; he is of no value dead and the 
trees need him alive. He spends many 
hours every day searching the bark for 
insects. 



68 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


WESTERNTANAGER 

The Western Tanager is one of the 
handsomest of all the group. We have so 
many beautiful birds but there are few if 
any others who wear such gay colors; his 
dress is golden and white bars, his cape 
black, and his head dress orange or red. 

He is more beautiful than his eastern 
cousin the Scarlet Tanager. 

o 

Although arrayed in all this finery he 
does not go around showing off. Many 

O o 

people do not even know he is here, for 
he loves the leafy tops of the tall firs. 

He sometimes slips slyly into the cherry 
trees, helps himself to some fruit; sings 
a few songs about it and then disappears 
among his loved firs. 

He is smaller than a Robin. There is 
a resemblance between their songs. Tan- 
ager’s music sounds to me like Robin’s 
would be if Robin were singing with a 
cold in his head. There is also a little dif¬ 
ference in the wording of their songs. 

. Tanager says, “Cheer up, cheer up, 
sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet.” Robin says, 
“Cheer up, cheer up, clieer-eer.” 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


69 


THE CEDAR WAXWING 
The Cedar Waxwing is a trim quiet cit¬ 
izen sometimes called the Quaker bird. He 
is scrupulously neat; every feather is in 
place and carefully smoothed down. 

His colors are fawn and dove. On the 
end of his tail is a band of bright yellow. 


When he is in full plumage, there are a 
couple of bright red spots upon his wings. 
They shine like wax. Cedar Waxwing 
wears a small crest. 


In late autumn we may see flocks of 

•/ 

trim looking waxwings near an insect in¬ 
fested swamp, catching flies in genuine 
flycatcher style. 

If anything disturbs the nest of these 
gentle birds, they take a position a few 
yards away and watch the robbery pa- 
thetically saving scarcely a word and of- 

e/ eV O ty 

fering no resistance. 



Photo hv •/. TV. Prison 

LACE TRIMMED NEST OF CEDAR WAXWING 



70 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


FLY CATCHERS 


Here we shall have hard work to do. It 

vvill take sharp-eyed boys and girls to 

ell the difference between the fly catchers. 

«/ 

Several species of these plain colored 
birds are about the same size and color. 
Their markings are also very similar : “An 

0 ty 

ash colored bird live inches long, with 
white Aving bars, a short neck and a small 
crest;" and you may be describing the 
Western Fly Catcher, Traill's Fly Catch- 
er, the Western Wood PeAvee, or Ham¬ 
mond's Fly Catcher. 

Any one of these Avill sit upon an ex¬ 
posed limb and patiently wait for flies. 
At midday, when most birds are concealed 

1/ 7 

among the leaA T es, a fly catcher Avill be 
seated upon a dead limb in the bright 
sunshine. He looks as though he Avere 
half asleep. He is really very wide 
awake. 

Suddenly out he darts, catches an in- 
sect and returns to the same perch. 

Each species has its OAvn language and 
most species have localities which they 
love best. If Ave love to Avander through 
Birdland, our ears, rather than our eyes, 
Avill help us to distinguish the fly catch¬ 
ers— eA r en those which resemble each 


other most. 

As these birds are insect eaters, they 

/ ty 

are, of course, summer birds. 

After Ave have worked a few years 

«y 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


71 


among them, we shall know very nearly 
where to look for each species, especially 
during the nesting season. 

By the middle of April, the Western 
Fly Catcher arrives. He has a single 
whistle as clear and penetrating as the 
call note of Russet-backed Thrush. 

It is not quite so round and full and 
it is more slowly given. A damp shaded, 
woodland patch is a favorite place for 
him. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF WESTERN FLY CATCHER 


TRAILL FLY CATCHER 

Traill Fly Catcher is a late comer. His 
sleepy “Weetyou” or “Peet-ya” tell us of 
his arrivel. We may find his nest late in 

c/ 

July in a thicket of willows and wild rose 
bushes. You might easily mistake it for 
a Warbler nest. Never name a bird home 
unless you see the bird upon it. 



72 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


Unless you wish the nest to come to 
«/ 

grief touch neither nest or eggs. There 
is nothing else in nature so sensitive as a 
bird. 

I know a close observer of birds, who 
believes that certain species even break 
their own eggs when they have been seen 
by a human eve. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF TRAILL FLY CATCHER 


OLIVE SIDED ELY CATCHER 
This is our big Fly Catcher. He is 

o ft/ 

about the size of Cedar Waxwing. He 
loves a stumpy upland. Over this for 
half a mile, his clear and shrill “We hear” 
rings. He sits high up in a fir which is 
dead at the top and whistles “We hear.” 
He says it so loudly that we can’t help 
but hear. 

“We hear” is his song. He says “Pu 

O ft/ 

pit” when he talks. 





73 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 



WESTERN WOOD PEWEE 


WESTERN WOOD PEWEE 

Western Wood Pewee loves an open 
alder and cottonwood fringe bordering a 
body of water. 

Uusually he says but half Ids name, but 
listen to him at four o’clock in the morn¬ 
ing. Then he will say “Pewee" very dis- 

o «y «y 

tinctlv. 




74 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


THE KINGBIRD 

The American Kingbird is rare in 
Western Washington, but I have seen it 
on different occasions on the eastern 
shore of Lake Washington. 

The Arkansas Kingbird is found in 
Eastern Washington but is also rare west 
of the Cascades. 



Photo by W. L. Dawson 
NEST AND EGGS OF WESTERN KINGBIRD 


THE CALIFORNIA CUCKOO 

Our California Cuckoo is one of the 
most difficult birds to find. It is usually 
hidden away in the swampy thickets but 
its “Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, conk, couk, 
couk” tells of its presence. Although the 
bird is large, being about a foot long, it 
generally manages to keep out of sight. 

It comes in June. I shall always re- 
member mv first good cuckoo visit. I had 

^ c 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


75 


been watching for it for years, and had 
begun to fear I should never see it. 

It was the twenty-third of June. I had 
taken a long hot tramp and the birds had 
taught me nothing new. At last I saw a 
battered old Robin’s home in the thicket. 
For want of anything better to look at, I 
stopped to examine the ruin. When lo! 
above Robin’s nest about eleven feet from 
the ground, I saw a strange, long curved 
yellow bill. I held my breath for fear the 
bird would disappear in the denser 
thicket before it told me its name. 

It stood my gaze but a moment. Then, 
like a flash, it was out of sight. I clapped 
my hands with delight! It was our 
cuckoo! 

She sang from the thicket, “Coo, coo, 
coo, coo, coo, conk, couk.” No use to try 
to follow her, so I went away, but I came 
back in about an hour. She was on the 
nest again and by this time she had gained 
courage enough to try to decoy. She flew 
low in a semi-circle towards the deeper 
thicket exposing as she flew the beautiful 
rose of the under side of her wing. 

Cuckoo is reddish brown glossed with 
green. Her under parts are white. 

That home was not very well built. It 
was a rude, shallow nest of twigs loosely 
put together. There was a scanty lining 
of lichens. 

The eggs were pretty. There were three 
blue ones as large as a Partride egg. 



76 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


How big Cuckoo manages to get on and 
off of that tiny, shallow, platform-like 
nest without rolling off the eggs is a won¬ 
der. I have since found Cuckoo’s home 
more rudely built than this one and its 
location more exposed. 

It is said that the babies, while they 
are developing their muscles, kick the nest 
to pieces. Before they are ready to fly 
they have little left to sit upon but the 
limb. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF CALIFORNIA CUCKOO 

We are proud of our Cuckoo, though, if 
she is not much of an architect, she builds 
her own home and takes care of her own 
children. The English Cuckoo lays her 
eggs in the nests of other birds; one egg 
in this nest and one in that so the little 
orphaned brothers and sisters are sepa- 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


77 


rated from birth and are brought up by 
strangers. 

Cuckoo sings most on cloudy days and 
for this reason is sometimes called the 
Rain Crow. 


WINGED FLOWERS 

Did you ever see the Humming Birds 
swarm about a cherry tree when the tree 
was in full bloom? Some years bring 
greater numbers than others. In April 
the beautiful male birds are more in evi¬ 
dence than later. Their fire-colored 
throats and rufous backs shine gorgeously 
against the white blossoms of the tree. 

As they flash against a blossom, take a 
sip, spring horizontally back from the 
flowers, hold themselves poised a moment 








78 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


and then dash at an other flower, they 
look like bright winged flowers. 

Occasionally they smack their lips as 
though the honey were good. The Hum- 
ming Bird appears partial to red flowers. 
It holds itself poised before a honeysuckle, 
nasturtium, or other red flower. The lit¬ 
tle wings beat the air so rapidly, that the 
bird needs no limb upon which to stand 
while it drinks the nectar from the flow¬ 
er cups. 

Our Rufous Hummer loves to place her 
nest in a rose bush up against a house. I 
do not mean that she always builds there! 
I have found the nest fastened to a Devil’s 
Club in the depth of the forest. What a 
dainty home it is—a tiny cotton cup, cov¬ 
ered with lichens. It looks like a small 
knot upon the limb. Two white eggs, the 
size of small beans are placed in the nest. 
The bird never varies from this number. 

PACIFIC NIGHT HAWK 

This bird is a close relative to the Hum¬ 
mer. As is often true of relatives, tliev 
don't look much alike. 

Night Hawk has a big mouth and al¬ 
most no bill. He flies with his mouth 
open. It is his insect trap. He catches 
the insects as he flies. 

His name sometimes gets him into 
trouble. It suggests mischief; but he is 
a hawk for insects only. Like the swal- 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


79 


lows, lie helps to sweep the sky, and the 
sky’s dirt is his dinner. 

He is accustomed to being misunder¬ 
stood. He belongs to the Goatsuckers. 
Long ago people believed that this family 
of mysterious birds sucked the goats. 

Have you not heard his boom high up 
overhead on a warm summer evening? He 
makes a curved dash down and then up 
and scoops up a mouthful of insects. 

The white spots on his wings, which 
look like holes, and his mysterious boom- 
ing noise, make him an attractive object 
in the evening sky. 

Night Hawk does not take the trouble 
to build any nest. The eggs are laid late 
in July when the weather is warm and 
dry. The flat roof of a house, a ledge of 



Photo’by the Author 

NEST OF THE PACIFIC NIGHT HAWK 



80 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


rock, a log, the top of a stump, or the 
ground, is all the nest he wants. 1 have 
flushed the bird from a ledge of rock and 
found one or two eggs in the scanty grass. 

This, the tenth of August. Yesterday, 
while walking through the woods, I saw 
the bird fly into the hushes, then it began 

tj / 

to talk excitedly. 

“This is late for eggs; there are little 
people here/’ I thought. After hunting 
awhile, I found some broken egg shells 
upon the ground. Those children were 
not very old, or the bird would not have 
been defending them so near home. 

Did you ever have Night Hawk angry 
at you? High up into the air he goes and 
then dashes down at you making the most 
comical noise. It reminds one of the spit¬ 
ting of a cross cat, only Night Hawk spits 
much louder and fiercer than puss does. 

In the autumn, before leaving for the 
South, these birds hunt in loose flocks 
which sometimes extend for nearly a mile. 

Like all purely insect eating birds, they 
belong to spring, summer and early au¬ 
tumn. 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


81 


CALIFORNIA CREEPER 

The Creeper is a strange little dweller 
of the dark trunks of the evergreen trees. 
In color, form, and size, it reminds one 
of a Wren. Having previously heard the 
name, anyone who sees the bird even for 
the first time, will know it. It truly 
creeps up the tree as it searches the cracks 
for insects. 

This is the middle of December and the 
weather is clear and cold. I saw Creeper 
today. Up the tree trunk it went with 
that queer, jerky, creeping movement; 
its little head bobbing at every length. It 
worked patiently upwards, never down¬ 
wards. 



Photo hi/ the Author 
NEST OF CALIFORNIA CREEPER 

The tree was a tall hemlock and the 
first branches were about sixty feet from 





82 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


the ground. When it reached these it flew 
downward nearly to the foot of another 
tree and began working up that. When 
I lost it on the dark bowl of the tree. I 
listened for its tiny “Eep, eep." It can 
walk upside down on the under side of 
a limb beautifully. Its tail feathers are 
stiff and pointed. It presses these tightly 
against the limb and in this way is in no 
danger of falling. 

While the tree trunk furnishes it a liv¬ 
ing it also affords it a house. It finds a 
tree the bark of which is scaling. It 
pushes some sticks up behind a piece of 
bark, then it shreds some bark until it is 
as soft as felt. This makes a bed soft 
enough for any baby. Upon this bed five 
or six tiny Creepers will lie. Think of 
having a home behind a piece of bark! A 
tiny hole through the bark makes an ex- 
cellent door. The eggs are white, spotted 
with lilac. Most of the spots are around 
the larger end. 

In spite of the hanging bark and the 
cunning door, it takes a sharp-eyed Na¬ 
ture worker, to find the home. 

The voice of the bird is small and weak : 
“Eep, eep,” it says so faintly and in such 
a high key, one might easily imagine a 
bug were speaking. 

It works so earnestly that it is easy to 
take it unawares and hit it as it creeps up 
the tree. One day one was brought to me 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


83 


with a broken leg. How I did wish the 
little fellow had the skill of Dr. Long’s 
bird and could splinter up that leg until 
it grew as good as new. 

These are rare little birds and we have 
none to spare. 

MOUNTAIN QUAIL 

The boys who work in logging camps 
have the best chance to study the upland 
game birds. I shall never forget the 
precious hiding places of some of our 
birds which these woodmen once pointed 
out to me. 

It was in May—the time when Nature 
is especially busy making the world in¬ 
teresting and beautiful. 

“I’ve found a bird’s nest upon the 
ground among the logs,” said one of these 



Photo hi/ the Author 
NEST OF SOOTY GROUSE 



84 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


men. “It’s a grouse’s nest or a pheas¬ 
ant’s, or something. Sam Button found 
another near it, and Carl Peterson found 
one a mile from there.” 

Sure enough away out there upon the 
lonely hill side now half bare by the work 

t/ t/ 

of the loggers, was Sooty Grouse’s nest. 
The logs still lay thick upon the ground 
and some trees and stubs were still stand¬ 
ing. It was an ideal place for the land 
game birds. 

Sooty Grouse is the big soot colored 
bird, sometimes called the Blue Grouse. 

We searched in vain for the other nest 
which we were told was hidden near it. 
The next day we sought out the tinder, 
and he led us to the spot. To my great 
delight it was Mountain Quail nest. 

This home is hard to find and, by be¬ 
ing too familiar with it, I had spoiled one 
containing one egg, two weeks before. I 
grieved over the ruin I had made; so, 
when I saw that this, too, was Mountain 
Quail’s nest, I sat down by it and clapped 
my hands for joy. Here was the complete 
secret, twelve creamy white eggs. This 
time I Avas not insulting Mrs. Quail’s in¬ 
telligence. She can take care of tAvelve 
eggs, not just one. 

Mountain Quail is the quail with the 
tAvo long black plumes extending back- 
Avards from his crown. He is browner 
than California Quail. Haven’t you met 

9: 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


85 


him with his family and seen him hop 
upon a stump or log, those two pinnies 
standing straight up while he cried ex¬ 
citedly : “Chuck, chuck, chuck, knee’ark 
knee’ark?” The little knight takes this 
danger position while his lady flies off in¬ 
to the thicket and the tiny folk disappear 
under the logs, stumps, or brush quicker 
than you can think. 

He stays in his exposed position long 
enough to divert your attention from the 

O e/ 

little ones to him. 

He was not always Washington's bird 

t/ c* 

but was introduced from the South. He 
stays with us now the entire year. 



CALIFORNIA QUAIL 



86 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


CALIFORNIA QUAIL 

California Quail is our most common 
quail. He is bluer in color than Moun¬ 
tain Quail. On liis head he wears a jaunty 
black plume which curves gracefully for¬ 
ward. His neck is adorned with a pretty 
black bib gracefully bordered with white. 

When these birds are feeding in ex¬ 
posed places, the cock stands sentinel. 
With neck craned up, he is on the lookout 
for danger and ready to give warning. 

But usually all one can see is a flash 
of blue as, with a whirr, a bird disappears 
into the thicket. I remember a pair of 
partridges that chose a secluded piece of 
railroad track for their feeding ground. 
I was seldom shrewd enough to get near 
them. 

The male bird would hop upon a rail 
of the track and watch my everv move- 
ment. His Avife went quietly on with her 
eating perfectly confident that he Avould 
warn her in plenty of time to get out of 
danger. 

When he feels that he is safe in the 
thicket, he crows in words something like 
these: “Uck, uck! oo”; “Uck, uck! oo.” 
It sounds to me like a young rooster tak- 
ing his first lesson in vocal music. 

Some folks think Quails talk English. 
They tell us he says “Who are you”? 

California Quail loves the districts, too. 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


87 


A spot near a log with a slab for a roof 
offers an excellent home site. 

Easter produces no prettier eggs than 
the spotted beauties presented by this 
bird. I have counted 20 in the same nest. 
But this is an unusual number. Sixteen 
is considered a full set. 

These high figures explain why the 
bird still holds its own in spite of the “pot 
hunters.” 

Sometimes winter proves a greater foe 
to them than the gun. A heavy snow 
shuts off their food supply. Then a place 
should be shoveled clear near the edge of 
the woods and grain scattered every day 
while the snow lasts. 

In the winter of 1908 and 1909, Seattle 
fed her quail at the City’s expense. 

The people will do this anywhere if the 
necessity is only suggested to them. The 
snow is often nearly gone before the needs 
of these timid little sufferers become ap¬ 
parent by the finding of some of them 
frozen. 

OREGON RUFFED GROUSE 

This is the Grouse that makes the 
drumming sound in the woods. 

One day I was sitting quietly in the 
woods listening for bird notes when Ore¬ 
gon Ruffed Grouse appeared before me. 
Yes, there was the brown and rusty yel¬ 
low barred coloring and the distinguish- 



88 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


ing black ruffs. I was afraid to breathe. 
He walked to the end of the log, spread 
his wings and began flapping them swiftly 
downward, “Bump, bump, bumper-r-r.” 
He stopped, turned and saw me and slip¬ 
ped quetly away into the thicket. But I 
was patting my hands with joy for I had 
seen the drummer drum. 

They make their nests among the leaves 
or under a fallen log. She lays from eight 
to fourteen huffy eggs. If they are han¬ 
dled at all she will either leave the nest 
or break it up. 

When her babies are in danger she ut¬ 
ters a whirring sound “st,” and exposes 
herself to attract attention until tliev are 

t j 

safe. 



Photo h\i the Author 
NEST OF OREGON RUFFED GROUSE 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


89 


HAWKS AND OWLS 

Western Washington is not very rich 
in Hawks and Owls. We have a number 
of species but most of them are transition 
birds; that is, they travel through here 
in the spring and autumn on their north¬ 
ern and southern journeys, so we have but 
a short time to enjoy them. 

I know there are a great many people 
who still think that a Hawk or an Owl 
is a great enemy to chickens and therefore 
a thing to be shot on sight. 

An occasional strong desire for a chick¬ 
en dinner has given these beautiful birds 
a worse name by far than they deserve. 

The contents of hundreds of their stom¬ 
achs have been examined and we mav 
know exactly what they do eat. Their 
food consists of insects and such animals 
as mice, rats, and gophers; all of which 
are injurious to crops. 

A few species occasionally visit the lien 
yard: but should we stop to consider the 
number of dollars’ worth that have been 
lost by these visits in our neighborhood 
in a year, would it be very many? 

Excepting, perhaps, the work of a few 
species, the good that Hawks and Owls 
render to crops offsets many times the 
slight harm they do our chickens. 



90 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 



SHARP-SITINNED HAWK 

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 

Sharp-Shinned Hawk is the villain in 
the Hawk family. He is the worst chick- 
en thief, and the terror of the small song 
birds. So plentiful is he and so destruc- 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


91 


tive that there should be a bounty ou his 
head. Swallows are the only birdes that 

«y 

fight him successfully. They circle above 
him and fly at his back aud head aud 
often make him retreat. 

He is the small grey hawk with short 
wings and long tail we so often see. 

The nest is hard to find. It is placed 
high in the evergreens, is made of sticks 
and lined with twigs. 

Both mother and father bird help in 
hatching the eggs. If you come too near 
they will try to fight you away, shrieking 
“Zip, Zip,” and will almost strike you. 

BALD EAGLE 

I think my readers will say with me 
that most of us can count upon our fin¬ 
gers the number of times we have seen an 
eagle in its wild state. One summer I 
made a visit to the birds of Orchard Is¬ 
land, one of the San Juan group. I knew 
the Bald Eagle came there occasionally 
to fish. Although I kept a sharp lookout 
for his coming, I failed to find him. 

Then a good farmer came to the rescue 
by telling me we might find an eagle al¬ 
most any day on Blakely Island. 

A large part of Blakely Island was still 

wild and lonely. 

«/ 

We secured an Indian guide to row us 
there. None of us knew where “Eagle 
Cliffs” were located, so our guide depos- 



92 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


ited us upon the beach near an Indian 
home. Then he turned his boat and dis¬ 
appeared over the waters of Puget Sound. 

The undergrowth was so dense that it 
was almost impossible to leave the beach 
except where our Indian neighbors had 
made a small clearing. They came down 
to the beach to listen to our camp songs 
and to make sure our lire would not get 
beyond our control and start a forest lire. 
They told us we were far from Eagle 
Cliffs and that we could not possibly make 
our way through the dense underbrush to 
them. We would have to go by boat. 

The next morning a pretty Indian girl 
rowed us around the Island. As soon as 
we came in sight of the cliffs, we saw a 
line big bird watching us from the limb of 
a tall tree. He looked like a Golden 
Eagle but he wasn't. The young Bald 
Eagle wears a dress much like his more 
kingly cousin. But the Golden Eagle's 
legs are feathered to his toes. This is not 
true of the Bald. 

Soon two line big birds in full plumage 
appeared. They were white headed and 
white tailed. No mistaking them for 
Golden Eagles. 

We drew our boat upon the beach and 
climbed a cliff while the eagles quietly 
watched. High up upon limbs of some 
giant firs were two nests. They were 
made of sticks. Each one was about the 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


93 


size of an office desk. The piles were 
rough looking though. They looked like 
big piles of kindling wood. 

Occasionally an eagle flew to a neigh- 

*7 O 

boring tree screaming as he went; but 
most of the time they were almost niotoin- 

*y 

less. 

How dignified they looked sitting so 
long and so still on their lofty perch. Not 
a single move we made escaped those 
piercing eyes. 

We felt like rustics desecrating the pri¬ 
vate grounds of his Majesty the King. 

We rowed away with a wish that these 
fine old cliffs might he owned by these 
fine old birds for many a year to come. 

*y */ 


SPARROW HAWK 

Sparrow Hawk is as beneficial as 
Sharp-Shinned is harmful. He hovers 
over our meadows, eats grasshoppers, 
crickets and other insects, and never 
harms other birds. 

He is the smallest hawk we have. He 
has a rusty crown and coat, is blue on 
his sides, also on each side of his head. 
The ends of his tail feathers are black. 

He is apt to nest in some cavity in bank 
or tree. The mother bird lays from three 

*y 

to five brown spotted eggs. 



94 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


WESTERN REDTAIL 

The Western Redtail is a large hand¬ 
some bird. It is rusty brown with white 
mottles. It nests high in trees. 

It is commonly called Hen Hawk but 
it lives chiefly on rats and ground squirrel 
and should be protected. 



Photo by F. R. Decker 

GOING AFTER WESTERN REDTAIL’S NEST 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


95 


CALIFORNIA PIGMY OWL 

The California Pigmy Owl is a day bird. 
He is a cute trusting fellow but little 
larger than a sparrow. 

On my way to school one morning I 
heard what I thought might be a small 
donkey engine. The whistle came from a 
ditsance of about a quarter of a mile. On 
returning from school I heard my engine 
in the opposite direction. I inquired, but 
no one knew of a donkey engine in the 
neighborhood. Still the mysterious whis- 
ties continued. I could hear them almost 
any hour of the day and far into the night. 

t/ u o 

One Saturday I was watching Pygmy 
as lie sat upon a stump. In a tall fir 
some distance away was another Pygmy 
Owl. From the fir came that same whis¬ 
tle. After a moment’s silence, I heard it 
again. 

Then my bird on the stump raised him¬ 
self slightly and answered in the same 
tones. The secret was out. But what a 
noise to come from so tiny a throat! 

This little owl is very unsuspicious of 
danger. Any one can approach within 
four or five feet of him. From the top of 
a stump he watches the approach of his 
visitor almost as fearlessly as a house kit¬ 
ten might. Sometimes one may almost 
touch him with the hand. 

Many times, when a long distance aAvay, 
my field glass has shown him to me sitting 




96 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


so silently upon a stump that lie might 
easily have been mistaken for a little 

t/ 

brown knot. 

There he sits until I am almost ready to 
touch him with my hand. If he is too high 
for me to reach him, he does not take the 
trouble to fly when I come to the foot of 
his stump. After he has satisfied himself 
that I am too big to eat, he gives me an 
occasional look, but appears more inter¬ 
ested in an insect, a mouse, or a tiny bird 
that might come that way. 

Sometimes when his position is too 
public and I fear he might get hurt, I 
try to drive him away by throwing sticks 
at him; but he simply raises himself after 
each throw to see where that funny stick 
went, and then sits quietly down again. 
He appears to know as well as I that the 
stick won’t hit him and lie evidently en- 
joys the game. 

Unfortunately, he gets credit for being 
a bird killer but I have found him hunt¬ 
ing many times apparently more inter¬ 
ested in bugs than birds. However, one 
day I was walking through the meadow 
when I found him surrounded by a circle 
of warblers, thrushes and finches. Each 
was scolding in his own language at the 
little owl, but the owl sat perfectly still 
in the center looking very dignified and 
very innocent. The angry circle kept up 
the cry of alarm until I came to its assis¬ 
tance. 




CALIFORNIA PYGMY OWI 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


98 


One must be out in March and April to 
listen to the love notes and to watch for 
the homes of both Hawks and Owls. 

Little Pygmy is said to make his home 
in old woodpecker holes. 

THE SAW-WHET OWL 

One day in April, a gentleman in East¬ 
ern Washington was taking a walk. He 
saw a hole in a stub and stopped to won¬ 
der if that was a door to a home. In a 
moment a little round face appeared at 
the door. Then the man looked through 
a crack into the stub and saAV a little owl. 
It was the Saw-Whet Owl. He is difficult 
to find. His clothes are dark and he loyes 
the deep woods. 

Although the Saw-Whet Owl is about 
the same size as the Pygmy, the two birds 
do not look much alike. Pygmy is gray¬ 
ish brown and his head is striped, while 
a Saw-Whet is more oliye in color and is 
streaked and marked with white and has 
white underparts. 

DUSKY HORNED OWL 

The Dusky Horned is very like the 
Western Horned Owl except that he aver¬ 
ages larger and his color is very much 
darker. He is the big brown Horned Owl 
with the pretty white bib. He is much 
more common than the Western Horned 
Owl. 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


99 



Sometimes the Horned Owls are great 
friends to the farmer and sometimes too 
fond of chickens. 

It all depends upon how the food in a 
neighborhod introduces itself. If he finds 
plenty of rats, mice, chipmunks, etc., in 
the beginning, he is not apt to be trouble¬ 
some to the chickens. 

EARED OWLS 

Owls have always been hard for me to 
find. About noon one hot sunny day, I 
was particularly favored. I found three 
beauties sitting together on a limb. They 
made no attempt to fly but they watched 


Photo by W. L. Dawson 
NEST AND EGGS OF LONG-EARED OWL 




100 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


me closely. I walked round and round 
them but their big eyes were always upon 
me. 

They were young Long-Eared Owls but 
they were full grown. I suppose they 
lived in the same nest or they would not 
have been so friendly. 

c/ 

Both the Long and the Short-Eared 
Owls deserve good names, for they are the 
farmer’s friends. They make war upon 
mice, rats, other gnawing animals, and in¬ 
sects. The Eared Owls are large birds but 
they are smaller than the Horned Owls. 

HORNED OWLS 

The Horned Owls are fine looking big 
birds. When their wings are spread 
they look as large as Eagles. Indeed 
their extent of wings is almost as great as 
that of the Eagles. 

Their reputation may not quite equal 
their beauty for they know very well the 
value of a good fat hen. 

One of the prettiest Owls I ever saw 
paid a heavy price for Ins love of chickens 
tlie other day in a neighbor’s yard. I could 
not help thinking, “What a sacrifice of 
beauty for just a hen.” But the beautiful 
bird had to die—“lie bit the chicken’s head 
right off.” 

I have a friend who always lias a good 
word for the birds. He says he likes 
chickens, too, but he does not think he 



BIRD LIFE IX WASHINGTON 


101 


ought to be killed for it. TVliat do you 
think about it, Children? 

I went to iny neighbor to beg the body 
of the Owl. The Owl’s fine gray coat was 
fh 3cked all over with white. There was a 
rich undertone of buff. Under his chin 
Avas a pretty ivliite bib and on his head 
were tivo tufts of feathers which stood up 
like horns. This Avas the Western Horned 
Owl. 


KENNICOTT SCREECH OWL 

Atlhough considered small for an owl, 
he is as large as a half-grown chicken. He 
appears large if AA'e are thinking of Pygmy 
OavI and small if \A T e compare him Avith 
the Horned OavIs. 

His evening song is not unpleasant. A 
good imitation of it can be made bv short 
rapid whistles, or by bloAving rapidly into 
a bottle. 

One evening, the children found little 
Kennicott sitting upon a telephone post. 
They knocked him OA r er and brought him 
to me. He appeared but little the Averse 
for his adventure. 

When any one approached him, he 
would hiss and snap, but finding this of 
no avail he became as gentle as a kitten, 
allowing himself to be handled as though 
lie appreciated being caressed. 

Ivennicott’s Screech OavI is here all the 
A^ear. 

c/ 



102 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 



KENNICOTT SCREECH OWL 


The Great Gray Owl is a rare dweller 
of the deep forests. 

Sometimes the beautiful Snowy Owl 
comes to us from the North. Sometimes 
he is nearly white but oftener he is more 
or less flecked with brown. 






BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


103 


AN OUTING 

There is probably no one who does not 
wish lie were acquainted with the birds. 
Bnt birds are so timid, their movements 
so rapid, that work among them is slow 
and difficult; however, with watchful eyes 
and patience we may all do something. 

The place for an outing for lovers of 
birds is an open woodland on the shore of 
some body of water. 

A wooded peninsula bordered on one 
side by a large beach and on the other 
by a tule marsh is an ideal place. 

Here the upland birds meet the shore 
birds and the shore birds mingle their 
cries with those of the water birds. 

Hanging from the tules are the homes 

of the Redwinged Black Bird and the 

Tule Wren. They are land birds. 

«/ 

The Killdeer and the Spotted Sand 
Piper deposit their eggs on the ground 
near the edge of the beach. In a tree in 
the slough, the Northwest Coast Heron 
makes his home. The Killdeer, the Heron 
and the Sand Piper are shore birds. 

Like tiny rafts upon the water out 
among the tules are the homes of the 
Grebes. The Grebes are water birds. 

I recall a certain small peninsula upon 
which I have spent many an hour with 
the little Spotted Sand Piper. 




104 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


One or two pair come to this point every 
year. The first year I met them there, I 
hunted for five weeks for the nest, so 
easily do the birds fool us in our greener 
years. At last I gave up. The little spot¬ 
ted teetering things would lead me off the 
beach among the grasses, then raise their 
dainty wings and fly away over the lake, 
calling: “Wait, wait, wait.” If I waited 
but a little while I could see them return, 
but only to repeat the game of fool. 

One day I was walking over the point, 
paying no heed to the Pipers, when a little 
anxious parent darted across my path, 
saying, “See then, see then.” I sat down 
and earnestly tried to “see then,” but 
there was nothing interesting in sight ex¬ 
cept the little teetering mother who would 
not come quite to me. 

Presently out of the corner of my eye, 
I saw a movement and, turning quickly, 
I found within a foot of where I ivas sit¬ 
ting a small depression containing three 
brown, striped, fluffy balls crouched close 
to the ground. The fourth had just start¬ 
ed out to see the big world. Had it kept 
still, I might not have found the nest. 
The colors of the young are so much like 
the colors of the ground. 

Sometimes I have watched and waited 
for an hour and a half for a parent to go 
to its nest that I knew must be hidden 
somewhere near, but the little bird was 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


105 


too wise for that. It would hop upon a 
log, drop its head and go to sleep. Wak¬ 
ing up and finding me still there, it would 
teeter awhile, run a piece, and then go to 
sleep again. This it repeated until it had 
exhausted my patience. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF SPOTTED SAND ITTEI! 


Sometimes, I have flushed the mother 
bird and found four eggs spotted and 
blotched like the pebbles of the beach. 
Every little egg pointed downwards. 

It is interesting to watch the mother 
bird lead the little ones from the nest into 
the big world. At our approach, the 
mother gives the alarm and the little ones 
squat instantly or “freeze” as we say. 
Watching closely, I have picked them up 
and returned them to the nest. They 





106 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


were not afraid, they were too young to 
know fear but they were not too young 
to be obedient. 

When the young are older, the mother’s 
decoy is most beautiful. She runs almost 
to you, flies upward, circles low in the 
air and then drops. This she repeats sev¬ 
eral times. You can’t help watching her. 
This is what she wishes you to do, for it 
gives the little ones plenty of time to run 
to cover. You will be a good hunter if 

vou find them then. 

«. 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


107 



NORTHWEST COAST HERON 


NORTHWEST COAST HERON 

All who have watched this long-necked, 
long-legged ungainly bird as he flew over 
the sloughs have noted that if the eye 
were taken from him but a moment he 
vanished. Where did he go? He simply 






108 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


dropped out of sight among the bushes. 
It is useless now to try to locate him. He 
looks like the grasses and bushes. 

Had we watched where he lit, we might 
see him standing stiff aid tall watching 
for frogs or fish. Again he takes his posi¬ 
tion on the tops of the tallest firs. The big 
fellow looks awkwardly out of place upon 
the small branches. He is three feet or 
more tall, so he looks much like a big 
weather cock upon a 200 foot pole. 

When the tide is out, he presents a 
queer appearance as he wades through 
the mud, deliberate, stiff-legged, grand¬ 
father style, his long necked curved, his 
eves staring intently into the shallow wa- 
ter watching for fish or frogs. 

We were camping upon the beach when 
one of these birds surveyed us curiously 
from a limb overhanging the beach a few 
yards away. He apparently did not know 
what the fire and smoke meant. 

Not content with so distant survey, he 
flew low, in a semi-circle around us alight¬ 
ing upon the salal bushes which over¬ 
hung the bank behind our ground table. 

The salal could not hold a big bird like 
that. It gave way; he slipped and caught 
his toes fast in the bushes. This turned 
him upside down and he hung there. His 
long legs were in the air and his bill al¬ 
most touched the ground. 

He appeared as well satisfied to make 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


109 


his observations in that position as right 
side up. 

We laughed ’til we ached at the comical 
bird. I started to right him but my com¬ 
panion shouted, “Look out, he’ll bite 
you'’! I looked at his immense bill and 
thought perhaps he might. Then we got 
sticks. We thought we could turn him up 
with these. But they scared him; he 
struggled, freed himself, and went blun¬ 
dering right over our dinner, sadly imper¬ 
iling our tea. 

I was willing to sacrifice the tea for 
this excellent exhibition from this prince 
of blunderers, but my friend mourned for 
the tea. 

The Indian pointed out a tall stub 
which stood a few rods back of our camp¬ 
ing place. A big loose nest of sticks was 
on the top of this. They told us this had 
been Heron’s home. 

The Herons often colonize, placing 
their nests in the trees of dense sloughs. 



110 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


NORTHWESTERN BELTED KING 

FISHER 

Here is an excellent fisherman who 
never fishes for money. He uses his catch 
for the family table only. Any day in 
the year it is no surprise to the human 
fisherman to have this feathered angler 
beat him at the trade within a few rods 
of him. 

From a branch or a telephone wire, 
King Fisher watches his chance, plunges 
into the water, and usually he brings up 
a fish. Sometimes he fails. Then lie flies 
to a neighboring branch and comforts 
himself by singing. It sounds as though 
he were rattling trombones. He can rat- 
tie those trombones just as loudly as he 
flies as ivlien he is sitting. 

His home is well concealed. It is a tun¬ 
nel which leads far into the bank at right 
angles to the stream. At the end of this 
he scoops out a depression for the eggs. 

Once a followed this tunnel for six feet 
into the bank. At the end of this there 
were half a dozen birds. Tliev were old 
enough to fly. We let all of them go but 
the one we wished to stand for his picture. 
We tried first to paint the mother bird, 
but she cried all the time; so we took her 
to the door; she rose in the air, circled 
around a few times as if to get her bear- 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


111 


mgs, and then went off in the direction 
of her scattered family. 

The boys were angry. They said: “We 
ought to have killed them all! There 
won't be any trout left”! I watched the 
King Fishers closely after that and sure 
enough they did know the trout holes as 
well as the boys did! 



NORTHWESTERN BELTED KING FISHER 


We would not have them killed though, 
for that, for ive like to live among them. 
If necessary, let us stock our streams with 
a few more trout so that the birds may 
live as ivell as we. 

Besides, these are the famous Halcyon 
birds. Halcyon was the daughter of 
Aeolus, the God of the Winds. Her hus¬ 
band was drowned in the Aegean Sea. 
She was warned of this in a dream and 





112 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


with a wild cry of terror she sprang from 
her bed and rushed to the sea, just in time 
to meet her husband’s body as it floated 
to shore. In pity, the gods united Hal¬ 
cyon and her husband again, but changed 
them to birds. 

Now, because Halcyon’s father is god 
of the winds, during the brooding season 
the winds and waves are calm. We then 
have our “Halcyon days.” Christian 
writers still weave the myth into song 
and story. The following is from Milton’s 
Hymn to the Nativity: 

Peaceful was the night 

When the Prince of light 

His reign of Peace upon this earth began 

The winds with wonder whist, 

Smoothly the waters kissed, 

Whispering new joys to the wild ocean; 
Which now hath quite forgot to rave 
While birds of calm sit brooding on a 
charmed wave. 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


113 


BUSH TITS 

Do you see that band of little chatter¬ 
ing mouse-colored birds in the willows by 
the lake shore? The tree is literally alive 
with them. They are about twice the size 
of humming birds. 

They have no song worthy of the name 
but how they can talk! They work and 
play in flocks. They are clean little peo¬ 
ple. It is a treat to watch them go bath¬ 
ing. Their bath tub is often a tiny stream 
in a ravine. Talking all the while, they 
go down into the water in troops like a 
crowd of boys at the beach. When they 
come out, they fly to some near-by bushes, 
give themselves a feiv shakes, and then 
dry themselves in the sun. All the while, 
they keep up that lively chatter. 

The nest interests people most. It is a 
deep pocket made of moss and lichens. It 
is eight or ten inches long and yet the 
builders are so tiny. 

The opening is generally on the side 
near the top. Half a dozen white eggs may 
be found deep in this queer home. One 
would think the mother bird must find it 
lonely, dark and close, hidden away in 
that deep pocket! Why did she choose 
that style of architecture? Possibly she 

t/ 

did it for protection for the nest looks 
like a Dig piece of moss that lias fallen 
from a limb above. Might not that some¬ 
times deceive a boy who would be inclined 




114 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


to injure it? At least it is a good plan 
to deceive our robber Steller Ja} r . A boy 
could hardly have the heart to injure the 
nest if he once saw the tiny builders at 
work. Two little mates make it. They 
go after a load of moss together, talking 
lovingly of their work as they fly. Tliev 
return together. 



Photo by the Author 
NEST OF BUSH TITS 


The weaving is done from the inside. 
One worker sits upon a limb and waits. 
The other enters at the narrow door; then 
how that big pocket trembles while he 
works and weaves. Then he comes out and 
sits upon a limb to wait while the other 
one enters to weave. Then off tliev go for 
another load of moss and lichens. 

Bush Tits are sociable, cheerful little 
companions. I have never seen them the 
least impatient. 





BIRD LIFE IX WASHINGTON 


115 


RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 

This is just a little gray bird with black 
and white stripes on its head and its un¬ 
derparts tinted with red. It is about the 
size of chickadee. 

For several years we followed a pecul¬ 
iar, penetrating little note before we could 
unite it with its owner. “Yank, yank, 
yank,” it said, in a plaintive nasal tone. 
I could hear it among the stubs of the half 
logged districts. The singer, if such it 
could be called, was often as much as an 
eighth of a mile away. 

o t/ 

Once I was watching Oregon Towliee 
guarding his nest in a brush pile, when 
“Yank, yank, yank,” sounded nearer and 
nearer and Red-breasted Nuthatch fleiv 
past. 

“So it is you,” I thought, “whose lan¬ 
guage is: “ ‘yank, yank, yank/ if you’ll 
permit me, I'll follow you.” 

It visited a hole about eight feet from 
the ground in a stub. Nest architecture 
is a wonderful study! There are many 
tree dwellers but what other home is just 
like this! 

Around that hole Avas a heavy broad 
ring of wax which the bird had plastered 
to the tree; perhaps to keep out unwel¬ 
come crawling insects. 

This house was full of children so I 



116 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


retreated and sat down to watch. Every 
five or ten minutes, one parent or the 
other came with food. Up and down the 
tree trunk, over and under the limbs, they 
hunted, walking upon the under side of 
the limb as easily as upon the top. 

They were tremendous little workers— 
they had to be in order to bring up their 
family. By far the greater part of the 
food birds bring to their nests is insects. 

Some of them, indeed, ask a part of our 
berries and cherries. Can we justly deny 
them! Let those who think so, come out 
into the world of work and song in the 
spring time and see. 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


117 


CROSSBILLS 

These little wanderers spend so much 
of their time so high in the hemlocks or 
other cone hearing trees that we may be 
neighbors to them for many years with- 

O e/ 

out knowing them. 

I went to the foothills one June to meet 
them. Day after day I searched without 
finding them so I began to enquire; hut 
the people were not acquainted with the 
inhabitants of the tree tops. They could 
hardly believe that crossed hills existed. 

ft/ 

One man answered my question by asking 
another: “But, Miss Getty, why is his bill 

7 t/ 7 ft/ 

crossed? Surely it can't be just to dis¬ 
commode him." Another said: “There 
ain't no sech birds!" 

At last I found a woman ay ho had 
really seen them. “O yes/’ she answered, 
“I have a farm farther in among the foot¬ 
hills. They are pugnacious little felloivs. 
My boys used to catch them to see them 
fight.” 

The Crossbills were too high in the 
trees at that season, I could not study 
them. A feiv years after that, late in the 
year, they came farther into the lowlands 
where they fed upon hemlock seeds for 
several months. 

One day, I heard a tiny “Weet, weet." 
They came Ioav enough for me to see their 




118 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


red coats. Both the Crossbill and the 
White-winged Crossbills were there. The 
White-winged are much the brighter col¬ 
ored. Both kinds were often found in the 
same flock but each species appeared to 
prefer the society of its own. 

When I heard “Weet, weet, v I always 
expected to find the Wliite-winged Cross¬ 
bills; the American talked more like the 
Siskins. Some people think they talk like 
little chickens. 



WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 


They cling to the hanging cones while 
they pick out the seeds. The entire flock 
is often found on the same side of the 
tree or even on the same limb. Their 
pretty red coats contrast beautifully with 
their white wing bars. The females are 
yellowish green. Their queer crossed bills 
help them to tAvist the seeds from the 


cones. 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


119 


There is a pretty story which the poets 
tell which gives another reason for the 
Crossed Bill. It tells us that this is the 
bird which tried to pull the neals from 
the Savior’s cross and that as a mark of 
distinction, the bill remained crossed. 

Jesus’ blood dropped upon the little 
worker and dyed its feathers red. 

The following is taken from Longfel¬ 
low’s poem : “The Crossbill.” 

“Stained with blood and never tiring, 
With its bill it does not cease—, 

From the Cross ’twould free the Savior, 
Its Creator’s Son release.” 




120 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


THE KILLDEER 

The Killdeer is a plover who has given 
himself another name. 

We were not as lucky finding Kiildeer 

homes as we were finding Spotted Sand 

Piper homes. That was because Spotted 

Sand Piper lived near us and Killdeer 

loved the sloughs farther away. Who 

taught the birds to divide the land as 

they have! The sloughs near us are just 

as secluded as those they have chosen, vet 

year after year A\e go thirty miles to Adsit 

the Killdeer. The bird lo\ r er avIio visits 

all kinds of birds that belong to his state 

must travel many miles; for the feathered 

• 

citizens are very exclusive in their choice 
of dAvelling places. 

Killdeer’s nest may be pictured about 
the same as Spotted Sand Piper's: on the 
ground near water are four eggs. The 
small end of each egg alAA T ays points 
do AA r n wards. 

We found a pair of Killdeer near their 
slough last year. The male bird did his 
best to induce us to follow him. “Right 
this way, please!" he seemed to say. 

The mother bird appeared to be terribly 
wounded. Indeed every bone in her little 
body seemed to be broken as she fluttered 
and rolled and tumbled there on the 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


121 


ground exposing the beautiful rose color 
of her back which is usually concealed by 
outer feathers. 

We could not half hunt with that pic¬ 
ture before us. One would think an un¬ 
covered nest on the beach would be easily 

«/ 

found, but we tramped over and over the 
place before we discovered the pebble col¬ 
ored eggs. There were but three in the 
nest and the number should have been 
four. Several rods away was a lone egg 
and no nest. We wondered if Jim Crow 
had carried it there leaving but three in 
our nest. So many nests of our little 
feathered friends come to grief. 



Photo by W. L. Dawson 
NEST AND EGGS OF KILLDEER 




122 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


Killdeer is larger than Spotted Sand 
Piper. He has two dark bands across his 
breast and he wears a white collar. But 
why describe him! He’ll tell you his 
name should you visit a favored slough: 
“Killdeer, Killdeer,” and then as he 
stops and teters before you while he 
watches you curiously, you can describe 
him yourself. 



BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


123 


WESTERN GOLDEN CROWNED 
KINGLET 

We see parties of these Kinglet search¬ 
ing in the bark and branches of trees for 
insect eggs and worms. They are friend- 
13' little creatures and will let 3 r ou come 
quite near. They chatter to each other 
all the while, “Se seep eep.” 

Their song opens in a high key and 
grows fainter as it runs down the scale. 
It is heard if you are lucky enough to 
find them at mating time. 

Their nests may be any height from the 
ground, six to fifty feet, but are always 
hung on the underside of the limb, basket 
fashion. 

They bring up two broods during the 
season. 

This Kinglet is a small greenish bird 
with a flame colored crown. His wife 
wears a yellow crown. 



Photo hj/ the Author 

NEST OF WESTERN GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLET 





124 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


RUBY CROWNED KINGLET 

Ruby Crowned Kinglet is olive green in 
color and his white wing bars, white cir¬ 
cle around the eye and bright red crown 
patch, make identification easy. His wife 
and nestlings have no crown patch. 

He is very friendly and will come al- 

c/ 

most to your hand to curiously inspect 
you. 

He chatters pleasantly while hunting 
over the twigs for food. He holds himself 
perpendicularly in air with a humming 
bird like movement of the wings. 

He places his nest high in the ever¬ 
greens and it is very seldom found. 



RUBY CROWNED 


Photo by Dawson and Bowles 
IvINGLET BASKETFUL 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


125 



Photo by D. E. Brown 
NEST OF SHUFELTD JUNCO 

SHUFELTD JUNCO 

These birds are commonly called “snow 
birds." They are beautiful and friendly 
little creatures. 

Tliey are dressed in grey with black 
bead and neck, white bill and white outer 
tail feathers. 

You usually notice them more in the 
winter time when flocks of them come to 
our doors to be fed, but they 7 ' are ivitli us 
all year. 

They make their nests of grasses on the 
ground and lay from three to five spotted 

(JO'O'S 




126 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


VIRGINIA RAIL 

You may put ou your boots and go with 
me to the marshes. We will wade in, 
making enough disturbance so that Vir¬ 
ginia Rail will know we have come and 
then we will stand very quietly here by 
this bunch of cattails. 



Photo bn D. E. Brown 
NEST OF VIRGINIA RAIL 

He is very shy but also very curious 
and soon he will come peeking out at us. 
Now you can see him, that slender brown¬ 
ish bird. Notice the black markings on 




BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


127 


his back, and as lie turns, see his white 
throat and cinnamon brown breast. 

His long reddish bill must be a great 
help in getting bugs out of lily buds and 
see how his long toes help him to run 
across the grass and lily pads. He can 
swim as well as a duck, but with a sort of 
bobbing motion. 

He makes a nest in a tussock of grass 
and lays from six to twelve eggs. The 
nestlings are glossy black. 

“As thin as a rail” refers to this bird 
and not to fence rails. This slimness lets 
them slip through the grass and iveeds. 



128 


BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


A WOODLAND MEDLEY 

There’s a church by the Peaceful Ocean: 

It was built by the Great Divine: 

For ’tis Peace and ’tis Love’s devotion 
That its evergreen walls enshrine. 
There the birds lend their matchless voices 
Thrush and Grosbeak are the choir— 
While the sylvan chancel rejoices. 

That the Robin’s aflame with its fire. 

From his pulpit the Yireo’s calling—, 
Hear him calling, “Spirit, come here!” 
There’s a prayer sweet cadenced falling 
From the throat of the Hermit Thrush 
near. 

By his rush-rimmed font in the Plover, 
Where the shadows of hemlocks creep; 
Where the dainty winged Gold Throats 

t/ o 

hover 

And the blushing Horned Grebes 
plunge deep. 

O, we’ll come when these forests are glow- 

in O' • 

When the Orchards their censers swing; 

O 7 

When the silver-rayed dogwoods are blow¬ 
ing 

O’er the many lined carpet of spring. 





BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 


129 


There’ll he richly clad guests at the wed- 
ding 

Of the Kinglet with golden crown : 

With his green robed bride he’ll be head¬ 
ing 

The gay march of the clans in brown. 

There’ll come pretty Bluebirds, rose 
breasted 

To the chimes which the lily-bell tells, 

With the saucy Blue Jay, the Court Jester 

Unencumbered by “Cap and bells.” 

There’ll be sunkissed wee Warblers and 
Finches 

There’ll be Black-birds with wings 
aflame 

To these nuptials, among the branches, 

()f the birds with the royal name. 































































INDEX 


Page 

Western Robin . 1 

Planesticus migratorius propinquus (Ridg.) 

Western Bluebird . 3 

Sialia mexicana occiclentaUs (Towns) 

Varied Thrush . 4 

Ixoreus naevius naevius (Gmelin) 

Russet-backed Thrush . 6 

Hylocichlci ustulata ustulata (Nuttall) 

Hermit Thrush . 8 

Hylocichla guttata pallasi (Cab.) 

Oregon Towhee . 8 

Pipilo maculatus oregonus (Bell) 

Rusty Song Sparrow. 10 

Melospiza melodia morphna (Ober.) 

NuttalTs Sparrow . 12 

Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli (Ridg.) 

Golden Crowned Sparrow. 13 

Zonotrichia coronata (Pallas) 

Western Savanna Sparrow... 14 

Passerculus sanclwichensis alaudinus (Bona.) 

Willow Goldfinch . 15 

Astragaiinus tristis salicamans (Grinnell) 

Pine Siskin . 16 

California Purple Finch. 17 

Carpodacus purpureus californicus (Baird) 

Black-headed Grosbeak . 20 

Zamelodia melonacephala (Swain) 

Western Evening Grosbeak. 21 

Hesperiphona vespertina montana (Ridg.) 

Lazuli Bunting . 22 

Passerina amoena (Say) 

California Yellow Warbler. 24 

Dendroica aestiva brewsteri (Grinnell) 

Audubon’s Warbler . 24 

Dendroica audmboni auduboni (Town.) 

McGilliveray’s Warbler . 25 

Oporornis tolmiei (Town.) 

Pacific Yellow-throat . 27 

Geohtlypis trichas arizela (Ober.) 






















132 


INDEX 


Page 

Myrtle Warbler .'... r .. 31 

Dendroica wronata (Tinn.) 

Lutescent Warbler . 31 

Vermivora celata lutescens (Ridg.) 

Cassin’s Vireo . 33 

Lcinivireo solitarius cassini (Xantus) 

Western Warbling Vireo.. 33 

Vireosylva gilva swainsoni (Baird) 

Red Eyed Vireo. 35 

Vireosylva olivacea (Linn.) 

Western House Wren. 37 

Troglodytes aedon parkmani (Aud.) 

Seattle Wren . 38 

Thryomanes bewicki calophonus (Ober.) 

Western Winter Wren. 40 

Nannus hiemalis pacificus (Baird) 

Tule Wren . 41 

Telmatodytes palustris paludicola (Baird) 

Oregon Chickadee . 43 

Penthestes atricapillus occidentalis (Baird) 

Chestnut Blacked Chickadee. 45 

Penthestes rufescens rufescens (Town.) 

Northwestern Redwinged Blackbird. 46 

Agelaius phoeniceus caurinus (Ridg.) 

Brewer’s Blackbird . 47 

Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler) 

Western Meadowlark . 48 

Sturnella neglecta (Audubon) 

Bullock’s Oriole . 50 

Icterus bullocki (Swainson) 

Tree Swallow . 51 

Iridoprocne bicolor (Vieillot) 

Northern Violet-green Swallow. 53 

Tachycineta thalassina lepida (Mearns) 

Barn Swallow . 53 

Hirundo-erythrogastra (Boddaert) 

Steller’s Jay . 55 

Gyanocitta stelleri stelleri (Gmelin) 

Oregon Jay . 57 

Perisoreus obscurus obscurus (Ridg.) 

Western Crow . 59 

Corvus brachyrhynchos hesperis (Ridg.) 

Northwestern Flicker . 63 

Colaptes cafer satwatior (Ridgway) 


























INDEX 


133 


Page 

Gairdner’s Woodpecker . 65 

Dryobates pubescens gairdneri (Audubon.) 

Harris’ Woodpecker . 66 

Dryobates viUosus harrisi (Audubon) 

Cabanis Woodpecker . 66 

Dryobates villosus hyloscopus (Cabanis & 
Heins) 

Northern Pileated Woodpecker. 66 

Phloeotomm pileatus abieticola (Bangs) 

Western Tanager . 68 

Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson) 

Cedar Waxing . 69 

Bombycilla cedrorum (Vieil) 

Western Flycatcher . 71 

Empidonax difficilis difftcilis (Baird) 

Traill’s Flycatcher . 71 

Empidonax trailli trailli (Audubon) 

Olive-sided Flycatcher . 72 

Nuttallornis borealis (Swainson) 

Western Wood Pewee. 73 

Myiochanes richardsoni ricbardsoni (Swainson) 

Kingbird .■.. 74 

Tyrannus tyrannus (Linnaeus) 

California Cuckoo . 74 

Coccyzus americanus oceidentalis (Ridg.) 

Rufous Hummingbird . 77 

Selasphorus rufus (Gmelin) 

Pacific Nighthawk . 78 

Chordeiles virginianus hesperis (Grinnell) 

Long-tailed Chat . 27 

Icteria virens longicauda (Lawrence) 

California Creeper . 81 

Certhia familiaris oceidentalis (Ridg.) 

Mountain Quail . r . 83 

Oreostyx picta picta (Douglas) 

California Quail . 86 

Lopliortyx calif ornica californica (Shaw) 

Oregon Ruffed Grouse. 87 

Bonasa umbellus sabini (Douglas) 

Sharp-shinned Hawk . 90 

Accipiter velox (Wilson) 

Sparrow Hawk .. 93 

Falco sparverius sparverius (Linnaeus) 

Western Red-Tail . 94 

Buteo borealis calurus (Cassin) 

























134 


INDEX 


Page 

Bald Eagle . 91 

Haliaeetus leucocepfialus leucocephalus (Lin¬ 
naeus) 

California Pygmy Owl-...-. 95 

Glaucidium gnoma californicum (Sclater) 

Saw-whet Owl . 98 

Cryptoglaux acadica acadica (Gmelin) 

Long-eared Owl .99, 100 

Asio wilsonianus (Lesson) 

Short-eared Owl . 100 

Asio fammeus (Pontoppidan) 

Dusky Horned Owl. 100 

Bubo virginianus saturatus (Ridgway) 

Kennicott’s Screech Owl. 101 

Otus asio kennicotti (Elliot) 

Great Gray Owl. 102 

8cotiaptex nebulosa nebulosa (J. R. Forster) 

Snowy Owl . 102 

Nyctea nyctea (Linnaeus) 

Spotted Sandpiper ...103 to 106 

Actitis macularis (Linnaeus) 

Northwest Coast Heron. 107 

Ardea herodias fannini (Chapman) 

Belted Kingfisher . 110 

Geryle alcyon (Linnaeus) 

Bush Tit . 113 

Psaltriparus minimus minimus (J. R. 

Townsend) 

Red-breasted Nuthatch . 115 

Sitta canadensis (Linnaeus) 

American Crossbill . 117 

Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm) 

White-winged Crossbill . 118 

Loxia leucoptera (Gmelin) 

Killdeer . 120 

Oxyechus vociferus (Linnaeus) 

Magpie .:.. 61 

Pica pica hudsonia (Sabine) 

Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. 123 

Regulus satrapa olivaceus (Baird) 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet . 124 

Regulus calendula calendula (Linnaeus) 

Shufeldt’s Junco .:. 125 

Junco hyemalis connectens (Coues) 

Virginia Rail . 126 

Rallus virginianus (Linnaeus) 




































































